Really Something Else
by Sally11
Summary: At a young age, Naruto is taken away by Jiraiya to train, away from Konoha. Will he shock the villagers when he returns? I'm new at this so please R&R! CHAPTER 7 SHOULD BE FIXED.
1. Chapter 1

Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm rather new at this fanfiction business so you'll have to forgive me for any faults I may make. but for now please be nice! =b  
  
Disclaimer: It's true, I don't own Naruto. .:sobs:.  
  
------------------------------  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
[ A/N : authors notes ]  
  
Flashback  
  
------- Change of setting or time lapse  
  
Point of View  
  
------------------------------  
  
Chapter 1 The Beginning of Change  
  
The sun shined was setting in the village of Konoha. The night sky had begun to set in, but it was still bright enough for children to play out in the streets.  
  
"Aaahh! You can't catch me!" shouted a little girl. "Hahaha! We'll have to see about that won't we?" shouted a young boy. The other children began to laugh as they attempted to catch the girl in a game of tag.  
  
Blue eyes gazed wearily upon the children his age. The six-year-old blonde slowly trudged up to the others.  
  
"Hi... uhmmmm... can I play, too?" the blonde boy asked nervously.  
  
The other children frowned. One of them spoke up. "Mommy said that I can't play with you..." The other started talking, too. "Gwandpa said that you're bad and that I can't play with someone like you." Another nodded in agreement. "Go away! Daddy will yell at me if he sees me talking to you!"  
  
The little blonde, who we know as Uzumaki Naruto, sighed. Tears began to form in his eyes. He turned and started to run away on his chubby legs. His small fingers rubbed away the tears that formed in his eyes. He had had bad experiences with other the children. Why would this time be any different?  
  
'Why won't they play with me?' he thought as he ran down the streets, trying to suppress the sobs. The sky began to darken, as the night set into the sky.  
  
As the tears blurred his vision, he accidentally ran into an old, white- haired man with a red stripe on each cheek.  
  
----------------------------  
  
Jiraiya's POV  
  
It had been a long day. Jiraiya was walking in the streets of Konoha after having done enough his "research" for his stay.  
  
'Hahahaha! This is going to be the best book yet!' he thought as he patted his notebook. He grinned like a madman. Drool came out of his mouth and he flushed as he began to remember the women at the bath house. 'Damn, I should've taken pictures...'  
  
"Sigh. It really was a shame I was caught..." But now, since the women had gotten paranoid – it was fifth time they had caught him this today – maybe he should go to another village or something. He wasn't going to stay in Konoha forever, after all. Now that he had finished most of his research, it was a good enough time as any to leave. But first he would go get some dinner. He figured he'd leave first thing tomorrow morning. The shinobi closed his eyes as he began to think of his travels while walking down the dirt road.  
  
"OoOmpH!" "AcK!"  
  
Two bodies collided with each other and the little blonde boy he ran into fell.  
  
The little blonde got up as he rubbed his side which the two bumped into. "Oww..."  
  
"Oh my gosh! G-g-gomen!" cried the blonde child. He looked up with puffy, red eyes, still a little watery, at the man with wild, white hair and strange, foreign clothing.  
  
Jiraiya chuckled as he replied, "Hahahaha! It's quite alright, but next time watch where you're going okay kid?"  
  
"H-hai!" Naruto looked up somewhat surprised. There was actually someone out there who was kind of nice! He couldn't believe it.  
  
As soon as he looked up, Jiraiya's eyes widened and he recognized Naruto's face instantly. 'Those whisker marks! He's Kyuubi's container! Fourth's son!' Jiraiya thought.  
  
Naruto stared quietly at the man. This was the longest time a grown-up hadn't screeched and yelled "MONSTER!!!" at him. He really didn't understand why they called him that. Whatever it was that made them call him that, he didn't like it.  
  
"My name's Jiraiya. I'm the legendary ninja known far and wide! What's your name kid?"  
  
Naruto stared at curiosity at the old man's strange behavior before he realized he was being spoken to. "Oh! Uhmmm.. It's Uzumaki Naruto."  
  
"Naruto, eh? Say Naruto, are you hungry?" asked the senin. The boy nodded meekly, pondering why Jiraiya hadn't yelled at him yet. "I haven't been here for quite some time... How about you lead me to a nice restaurant, and I'll treat you? What do you say?" Naruto's tummy grumbled loudly. He blushed and nodded quietly, leading Jiraiya to the main part of the village. The shops' bright lights were being lit and flashy signs advertising merchandise could be seen in the shop windows. A small crowd was on the streets, shopping at the stores or just socializing. But Jiraiya cringed as he saw the passersby sneered at Naruto. He was somewhat surprised. The boy seemed to be used to it, even though he would wince once in a while from all the harsh glares. Soon the two arrived to Ichiraku, a ramen stand with white flaps saying its name.  
  
The boy grinned and said, "This is Ichiraku! They make the bestest ramen EVER!" Jiraiya grinned at his comment.  
  
"Say Naruto. What do you want to be when you grow up?"  
  
"Oh that's easy! I'm going to be the Hokage! Because everyone likes that old man and if I become Hokage, everyone will like me, too!"  
  
Jiraiya chuckled. 'Poor kid. He's on his own... He's a hero for being able to hold up this long with the Kyuubi in him, but everyone in this village despises him. Even if he's Yodaime's son. Maybe it would be a good idea if I took him with me... Wouldn't hurt.'  
  
"Say, gaki. When we're done here do you want to come and travel with me? I'm leaving tomorrow to see all of the big countries in the east," the senin said. "It'll be fun! I'll teach you new things and even train you to be a great shinobi like me!"  
  
The blue eyed boy was quiet as he thought about it. He had never actually gone anywhere outside of the village before. Maybe it would be fun. "You won't leave me right? And no one's going to be mean to me are they?" The senin chuckled. "Of course I won't leave you! And the people in the other places faaaar away won't know you so they won't be mean. Now come on, we've been standing outside this stand for some time. Why do you order something? Remember, my treat!"  
  
The blue eye boy gazed in wonder at the shinobi before he snapped out of his reverie and smiled widely. The two sat down in the stand as they began to order the ramen.  
  
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It was a few hours later after Jiraiya finished paying the bill. The old man at the counter seemed suspiciously pleased and grinned widely at the money. The legendary senin was rather in a state of shock. How could a small kid like him eat 6 bowls of ramen?! It just didn't add up!  
  
Jiraiya grumbled, "Darn boy. Must love that ramen."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Oh! Uhmmm! Nothing! Hahaha... Okay for tomorrow, bring everything you will need to travel, okay? That's like your clothes, some food, and maybe some band-aids if you have any. I'll bring anything else you probably won't have and some other stuff too okay?" He looked down to the little boy.  
  
"Unh!" Naruto responded, enthusiastically. He was going to travel! This was going to be lots of fun!  
  
"Oh yea!" Jiraiya reached into his sack. He pulled out some notes, a few pictures for inspiration [A/N: naughty Jiraiya!], some a gourd of water, and finally some weights. "Ah! Here they are! Here. Put them on in the morning. They'll make you stronger okay?" Jiraiya handed them to the boy. "Wow these are heavy!" exclaimed the blonde.  
  
"Hahaha, just you wait, Naruto, just you wait."  
  
The boy nodded. He took a glimpse at the pictures. "EWWW! You're a pervert! Ero-senin's a pervert!"  
  
'This boy is really something else...' Jiraiya thought as he groaned.  
  
TBC  
  
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YES! Finished! So far at least... Hahahaha please R&R!! Still gotta think of what I plan to do with this fanfic.... 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all! Hahah yea I started mah editing... sorry for the delay and stuff. This one is just a minor change.

Just felt like updating. Feeling like a loser kuz I should be doing hmwk   
  
Arigato minna-san! I appreciate all your advice and its given me a lotta ideas for more originality. hope you all keep reading!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Unless... .:schemes brilliant plan:. Muahahah! Jk  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
[ A/N : authors notes ]  
  
Flashback  
  
------- Change of setting or time lapse  
  
::Point of View::  
  
Chapter 2  
  
First Time on the Road  
  
::Naruto's POV::  
  
"Chirp! Chirp!"  
  
"Ugh..."  
  
The sun shone brightly the day after. Unfortunately to one blonde boy, this was pure hell. The sun relentlessly attacked his eyes, demanding that he would wake up to the new day. Naruto tossed and turned under his sheets but the sunlight still shone through.  
  
"Fine, fine! I give up!" he cried aloud as he got out of bed. He changed his clothes to the orange suit he'd loved so much. Orange was his favorite color after all. He had gotten it just for travel with Ero-senin.  
  
The boy wandered out of bed and into the restroom where he quickly bathed and brushed his teeth. Awakened by the shower, he realized he had forgotten to pack the night before. 'Oy, I am sooo going to be late.' He looked around his small apartment. He walked over the empty ramen cups, the clattered scrolls and the small knick-knacks he had lying on the floor over to his closet where he began to pack his clothes and other necessities.  
  
'Better get some instant ramen, too.' He ran over to his kitchen and climbed up onto the counter to reach the cupboards. 'Beef, chicken, miso... beef, chicken, or miso... Ah! I can't decide!' The blonde gave up trying to choose and just stuffed a handful into his backpack. Looking around his apartment for the last time, he realized he had forgotten Ero-senin's weights.  
  
"Hmmmm, where did the go?" The boy looked under his bed, in the cupboards and under his table, where he finally found them. The old man had given him instructions on how to put them on yesterday. He attached them and left his apartment, locking it up for who knew how long. The young blonde skipped his way out of the building.  
  
And headed straight toward Konoha's main gates. Well, he had stopped skipping a while ago. The weights had really begun to take their toll on his legs, albeit he wouldn't give up. But slowing down allowed him to take in the view of the forest. Birds flew around everywhere and once in a while, he would see a squirrel run across his path or a rabbit. He smiled and a look of content was on written all over his face.  
  
A blurred figure flashed by, but Naruto took no notice of it. He was much too preoccupied with the weights and how they were straining his legs. None- the-less, Naruto continued onward while a figure followed him in the shadows. Only until the shadow flashed across behind him Naruto caught it in his peripheral vision. His eyes widened in fear and he stopped, having no clue what to do. Then he did the only thing his mind told him to do: 'RUN!' and boy, did he run. But the shadow caught up faster and jumped in front of him.  
  
"Kid, what do you think you're doing out here by yourself?" said a tall shinobi with silver hair and his forehead protector covering his left eye. The ninja had a jounin vest on him and most his face was covered by a ninja mask.  
  
"You're getting awfully far from the village. There recently have been a number of cases of thefts down this road. Where are you going?" asked the mysterious shinobi. [A/N could I seriously be anymore obvious?]  
  
"Uhmmm... uhmmm.. I don't know?" Naruto couldn't think of anything else better to say.  
  
From behind a voice sounded, "Let the boy go, Kakashi. He's going to be traveling with me."  
  
[A/N: In this ficcie, I'm not exactly sure if Kakashi, around the time when Naruto was six, was ANBU. I'm just going to assume that he quit being ANBU after the Kyuubi incident. Unless all of you whine otherwise, this is my ficcie and that's how its going to go, got it? =b ]  
  
Kakashi's right eye widened in surprise. "Jiraiya! What do you mean he's going to be traveling with you? Did Hokage-sama approve of this?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I was just coming back from the old man's." He turned to the blonde who was standing silently, watching the two grown-ups converse. "Naruto! Did you bring everything you need?"  
  
"Unh! I think so!"  
  
"Good. And do you have those weights on?"  
  
"Unh, but they're awfully heavy," Naruto said as he made a face. Jiraiya laughed at this.  
  
"Well Kakashi, I think I can take over watching his back now. You're free to go!" said the white-haired man.  
  
"Come on, Ero-senin! I wanna gooooo!"  
  
"Ero-senin?" Kakashi asked, smirking underneath his mask.  
  
"Long story."  
  
"Talking about stories, how's the next book Icha Icha Paradise coming along?"  
  
"Oh! It's going great! I got a lot of research done yesterday at the ..." Jiraiya went on to talk about his inspiration for the Icha Icha series. Kakashi nodded excitedly and blushed once in a while. Naruto, now somewhat forgotten, had started to take out a cup of ramen. Luckily, he packed his thermos, which had hot water ready to make his instant ramen. He took out a pair of chopsticks too and enjoyed the ramen while the grown-ups talked about things. "... the most beautiful woman in the world... and then the two women go into the closet... the guy was really, really ho..."  
  
"Hehehehehe."  
  
"My favorite part is when ... and when she does that thing..."  
  
"Oh that thing! Jiraiya-sama, you genius!"  
  
"Well I'm not a legendary senin for nothing, you know! The Fourth was my student."  
  
"Talking about students..." Kakashi said, while he pointed at the boy who was slurping up the last of his third cup of ramen.  
  
"Ah! That was some good ramen!"  
  
Jiraiya facefaulted but realized that an hour had passed.  
  
"Oh! The boy and I have got to go! So long Kakashi! I'll be sure to send you a copy of Icha Icha Paradise when it comes out!" [A/N: Obviously this is before the book comes out so right now Jiraiya is working on the book... make sense? Sorry if this part seems kind of lame.]  
  
Kakashi nodded and waved. He walked up to Naruto and patted him on the head.  
  
"You be careful alright kid?"  
  
"Uh huh! Bye-bye mister!!"  
  
Kakashi turned his back, lifted his hand in a goodbye, and jumped up to the trees and soon disappeared.  
  
"Wow, sugoii! Naaa, naaaa, Ero-senin! How come you can't be as cool as he is?"  
  
Jaraiya scowled at this comment. "If you think he's cool, wait 'til you see me in action! HAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
But by the time he had stopped laughing, Naruto had left him already.  
  
"OY!! NARUTO! WAIT FOR ME!"  
  
::Jiraiya's POV::  
  
When Naruto and I reached the gate, which was only a few more minutes away, the guards seemed to look at Naruto with contempt. I overheard them whisper,  
  
"Good riddance! The demon-child is leaving!"  
  
"I know! Arigato Kami-sama! But I wonder what that old, white-haired man is doing with him?"  
  
"Don't ask. So long as he's taking the monster away."  
  
I looked at Naruto and I could see that he was blinking away his tears. He did his best to hide them and adverted his gaze from me but I didn't see him attempt to wipe them away. I feel terrible for the gaki. But once I'm through with him, his potential will be unleashed. 'As Yodaime's only legacy, the boy will prevail. I will make sure of this!' I thought as we traveled along the dirt road.  
  
I scanned the area cautiously, just in case. We didn't want any followers, now did we? But my thoughts were interrupted as Naruto spoke.  
  
"I'm tired! And bored! And my legs hurt! These things are really heavy!" he whined.  
  
I smirked and replied, "It's the only way you'll become strong!"  
  
"Are you suuuuuuuuuure?"  
  
[A/N: I know I talk a lot... anyways, remember, Naruto is 6 thus the whininess... well I have a 10-year-old crybaby bro so hahahah not a good example I guess]  
  
"Yes, I'm sure!"  
  
"Where are we going???"  
  
"That way," I said as I pointed toward Water Country, flamboyantly. "While we travel, I'm going to train you to be one of the strongest Hokages ever!"  
  
Naruto just nodded as they headed towards the Water Country.  
  
::Normal POV::  
  
Six years later...  
  
A short, blonde boy nodded to the white-haired man. They were careful not to make a sound. If caught, they're lives could be at stake. The halls had white walls and wooden floors so the two shinobis had to be careful not to make the wood creak. On the white walls, there were intricate paintings of the scenery from the different countries. The two walked down the hall and reached a door where steam came from the bottom. A few women's voices could be heard through the wooden door.  
  
The two were in the famous Seinji Mountain Hot Springs Bathhouse. It was high up in the mountains right next to the Village of Cloud in Lightning Country. The bathhouse was the favorite of many women, having the best view and the most comfortable baths. The bathhouse had everything a bathhouse should offer.  
  
And here were two male ninja, the sneakiest of their kind. Suspicious, ne?  
  
Drool started dripping out of Jiraiya's mouth. He was sooo close. He had needed research for his next book in the Icha Icha series. Naruto shook his head at the sight of this.  
  
'Even I act more cool than he does in situations like this...' he thought and sighed. Then he suddenly heard footsteps coming from around the corner.  
  
"And he told me that he was going to ..." said feminine voice that was coming down the hall.  
  
Naruto and Jiraiya's eyes widened with fear.  
  
Naruto quickly did some hand signs.  
  
"Henge!" he said quietly.  
  
Jiraiya stared at the sight in front of him.  
  
"Stop staring! Do something!" Naruto hissed. But it was unfortunate that Jiraiya was drooling like an idiot and giggling as he moved closer to Naruto in his Sexy no Jutsu form. Naruto sighed. He had always had a plan for back up in case this would ever happen. Sexy no jutsu came in handy a lot. He could never forget how he had learned it.  
  
Flashblack  
  
Naruto, at the time, was nine. They were in a forest and Jiraiya had finally decided it was time Naruto started learning some of the basic jutsus. The past three years was all on stamina and chakra control, but now the blonde was finally learning some genjutsu and ninjutsu.  
  
"Well, you have kawarimi no jutsu and most the other ones. Why don't you do Henge?"  
  
"Nani? What's 'henge?'" asked Naruto curiously.  
  
"Henge no Jutsu is when you transform into somebody. When you copy someone's appearance," Jiraiya explained. "Try it."  
  
Jiraiya showed Naruto the seals.  
  
"Henge!" cried Jiraiya. And in front of Naruto stood another Naruto.  
  
"Sugoii!"  
  
Jiraiya then canceled the jutsu.  
  
"Now you try it."  
  
"Uhmmm... Okay! HENGE!"  
  
"No that's not it. Try again!"  
  
"HENGE!" "No! Once more!" "Grrrrr. HENGE!"  
  
Suddenly, in front of Jiraiya stood a naked blonde, with smoke around covering her.  
  
"PERFECT! THAT WAS PERFECT NARUTO!!! Where did you get the idea from?"  
  
"Uhmm.. from one of your magazine clippings that fell on the floor... Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
End Flashback  
  
'Jiraiya's going to kill me but it's the only way.'  
  
He took a deep breath and then,  
  
"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"What are you doing?!" he yelped, but not before long, the women coming down the hall had screamed as well, as soon as they saw the old white- haired man.  
  
Soon, all the women ran out screaming and they all chased Jiraiya out of the building while a few consoled Naruto in his sexy no jutsu form.  
  
"It's okay, he's gone." "That pervert. Going after such a pretty young girl!" "Hentais, there are just too many." "Are you okay?"  
  
"Y-y-yea! I-I'm fine!" Naruto insisted, while nodding quickly. He was blushing mad because most the women were still only half dressed. He, or rather she at the moment, looked as red as a tomato.  
  
'What Ero-senin would give to be in my position right now. Hehehe.'  
  
His eyes caught a wandering figure of a slender 20-ish woman walking out with dark brown hair and green eyes.  
  
Instantly, he jumped behind her and held a kunai to her throat while twisting her arm behind her back, thus making her unable to make a run for it or make any hand signs.  
  
"Hello Miss Akimomo Miyu. So we meet alas."  
  
The brunette snarled at Naruto.  
  
"Who are you? How do you know who I am?"  
  
"How could I not know who you are? You're only one of the youngest most wanted S-class criminals around. Who I am doesn't matter."  
  
The other girls were shocked at the scene and began to run away. None were kunoichi and could do nothing more.  
  
"Oh. That." Miyu smirked deviously. "Well I was wondering when I'd be caught. Congratulations."  
  
"Why thank you. Now if you don't mind," Naruto said. Quickly, he drew the knife across her throat. Miyu then reached up and placed a kiss on Naruto's lips. Her body went limp and she died instantly.  
  
[A/N: sorry not one for flashy fights. If it gets the job done it gets the job done right?]  
  
"...?"  
  
'Wonder what that was about...' Naruto thought. His eyes suddenly saw a flash of red before his vision cleared up. But he shrugged it off as his recent inability to sleep the night before.  
  
"These missions are getting tiresome," he mumbled to himself. He deactivated the sexy no jutsu and threw the body of the S-class criminal over his shoulders and started to head out of the bathhouse. 'Although, this was one of the more interesting places.'

He blushed as he remembered some of the women he had passed by. He began to slightly drool before he realized, 'Kami-sama (God)! I'm becoming just like Ero-sennin!'  
  
Outside waiting was a beaten up Jiraiya, bruised and red from the kicks, slaps, and punches he'd gotten from the women. He was lying underneath the shade of a great big tree, back against the trunk.  
  
'Fiesty. Just how I like 'em!'  
  
He then saw Naruto walking out the door, carrying a woman's body.  
  
"You got her?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
"See. Didn't I tell you that bathhouses were fun?"  
  
"Shut up Ero-sennin," said the blonde, turning slightly red.  
  
Jiraiya chuckled to himself quietly.  
  
::Normal POV::  
  
The two walked down the lavishly garnered halls. Chandeliers of crystal and marble statuettes were at, what seemed, to be almost every few feet away from each other. This was a mansion.  
  
No, this was a palace.  
  
No, this was a castle.  
  
No, it was the office building of the Raikage.  
  
Every time Naruto walked down this hall, a new mural always seemed to be painted, or another room was redecorated. The place was simply spectacular. The two finally reached the end of the hall, which was crowded with village officials, Cloud jounin and feudal lords with their respective guards. Naruto had always felt somewhat out of place here. After all, everyone around him was dressed in expensive silks with equally expensive accessories.  
  
Naruto, on the other hand, was wearing a pair of dirtied black cargo shorts with a gray shirt. One sleeve of the shirt was partly torn, revealing the white linen that wrapped around his arms while the other sleeve was in somewhat better shape. His left leg was also bandaged up. His hair was unruly and untamed and looked like it hadn't been washed for a while. Obviously, he had gotten rid of his orange jumpsuit. It had a tendency of attracting unwanted attention, especially when he was supposed to be hiding. Naruto's guardian, Jiraiya also was looked no better, in this gray robes and red vest. If possible, he looked worse. But none of this really bothered him so much on the road, however, in a palace where everyone surrounding you is worth a million yen...  
  
The Raikage, who was talking with a village official, instantly noticed the two's entrance.  
  
"Ah! Jiraiya-san! I assume the job was completed? And as usual in record time! What I would do without you and your apprentice!" said the Raikage.  
  
"Aa. Here's the report," Jiraiya replied, as he handed over an envelope, which was quickly unsealed by the Lightning leader.  
  
"You two did a good job, as always," complimented the Raikage.  
  
"Arigato, Raikage-sama," replied Jiraiya and Naruto as they bowed to the leader of the Country of Lightning.  
  
"I commend you two for both your hard work. There will be an added bonus to your payment for completing the A-class mission."  
  
"Raikage-sama, you are too kind," Jiraiya said calmly, but secretly jumping for joy in his mind.  
  
'This ought to keep us from going bankrupt for a few months of travel,' Jiraiya thought.  
  
Jiraiya took a glance at Naruto while the Raikage continued talking. The blonde looked bored and uncomfortable in the palace.  
  
"... great having you, the legendary senin of Konoha and your apprentice, here with us. We are thankful that you could do the missions for us."  
  
"Hai. It was no problem. Well we best be leaving. Goodbye!" Jiraiya said as Naruto and he bowed and headed out.  
  
On they way out Jiraiya said, "Quiet as usual, eh Naruto?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Heh. Well I've got some news for you! We're going back to Konoha!"  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: OMG! I never thought I'd finish this chapter!!! Its 3:13 and I've got skoo tomorrow... oy..... I'll be sure to update when I have time though.  
  
Hope you all liked the fic. I'm like one of the craziests perfectionists out there so expect to see this chapter changed or with something added but for now...  
  
Ta ta!  
  
Please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello minna-san! Yep, updating again already... hahaha  
  
Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine. If it was, than I wouldn't be here writing fanfics write now...  
  
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DragonCC: I think most writers tend to show Naruto as "normal." Ahahha for most the ficcies, I read, he comes back as calm as ever... I'm still not sure how he's really going to wind up... im just brainstorming as I go! thank you for the review tho!  
  
Chibified kitsunes: the chunin exam... hmmmmm I don't know..... I'm not really completely sure if I want to have him start off in the chuunin exam... but it'd be easier because I don't think I want to rewrite the part about Haku and Zabuza... I'll prob wind up writing mah own lil missions... whoa! Got off the subject... hahah and of course hes going to be in team 7 wouldn't have it any other way! Hahaha thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chappie!  
  
Snakedynasty: what do you mean by a ship? Hahah thanks for reviewing!  
  
Licht Sieger: hahaha good to know im not the only paranoid one here! thanks for reviewing!  
  
Someone: hmmmmmm you'll just have to read ahead and find out! (I'm so dumb! This totally makes it obvious! xX) enjoy the ficcie!  
  
CanalVorfeed1: heheheh! So glad ya like it. and as for the rasengan thing, he hasn't been taught it... I don't plan on making him like a crazyass- jounin-level-overqualified genin... well, maybe a lil more overqualified but not too much thanks for your advice!  
  
Ryugura: thanks for the advice! I'll try to keep it in mind... but hehehe its hard to try to relate the ninja stuff to real life so I'll try to make his personality as real as possible, but of course, still sticking to the rudiments of the original Naruto character  
  
Chibi and Chan: =b you got lucky. I don't really like yaoi either... hahaha well I don't like it in Naruto... it just doesn't make sense in Naruto... I mean kakashi and iruka don't match in my own personal opinion  
  
Kaiser Ryu: Hmmm... I'm not sure yet... we'll just have to see as we go... hahah I'm not sure myself where this ficcie is headed, but trust me: if its not as original as I can make it I'd rewrite the whole thing over again. Hahaha! Hope my ficcie satisfies ur taste and thanks for the review  
  
I also want to thank:  
  
Death Phoenix Hinanaru Gopu Night-Owl123 Inu-chan 613 JONATHAN sHIM Angl Wolfgirl13 Falcon-Rider RubyMoon 17 Yum Ilovenaruhina Ramen Fox Box Stunlee200  
  
------------------------------  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
[ A/N : authors notes ]  
  
Flashback  
  
------- Change of setting or time lapse  
  
::Point of View::  
  
------------------------------  
  
Previously...  
  
Jiraiya took a glance at Naruto while the Raikage continued talking. The blonde looked bored and uncomfortable in the palace.  
  
"... great having you, the legendary senin of Konoha and your apprentice, here with us. We are thankful that you could do the missions for us."  
  
"Hai. It was no problem. Well we best be leaving. Goodbye!" Jiraiya said as Naruto and he bowed and headed out.  
  
On they way out Jiraiya said, "Quiet as usual, eh Naruto?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Heh. Well I've got some news for you! We're going back to Konoha!"  
  
--------------------------  
  
Chapter 3 No Such Thing As Home  
  
Naruto blinked. A light breeze blew by and shuffled the sand and leaves on the floor. Once in a while, a few passing villagers of Hidden Cloud turned to look but they were passed on as just visiting shinobi.  
  
"...."  
  
Jaraiya grinned widely and turned to look at Naruto.  
  
"Well? Aren't you happy?"  
  
"...."  
  
Then, it hit him like a wave. He was going back to Konoha.  
  
His first home.  
  
Where it had all begun.  
  
Konoha...  
  
Where peace was the very essence of the village.  
  
Konoha...  
  
Where the villagers sneered at him and called him names. The village where their indigenous people would ignore him and avoid all contact, whatsoever.  
  
Where he would be alone and hated, for being a monster, whatever they meant by that. [A/N: In this fanfic, he doesn't know yet okay? That is, he has no clue whatsoever that Kyuubi resides within him!!]  
  
'I'm going back to Konoha,' Naruto thought, still shocked. At this point, Jiraiya began to get a little worried. They had been standing outside the administrative building's steps for five minutes. Naruto's expression was blank and the blonde hadn't said anything.  
  
"Naruto? You there?" he asked as he waved a hand frantically in front of the blonde's face. Jiraiya frowned.  
  
"Konoha..." Naruto mumbled. "Konoha," he repeated except this time, louder.  
  
"Konoha!" His eyes widened as he finally registered what Jiraiya had said. "NO! NO WAY IN THIS LIFETIME I AM EVER RETURNING TO THAT DUMP!"  
  
Immediately, he turned and in the blink of an eye, he was off, running down the steps and heading out of Hidden Cloud's gates into the forest.  
  
"Naru-" Jiraiya started "-to... Sigh... that baka... I guess he still hasn't completely healed from his childhood."  
  
Closing his eyes, he began to shake his head and frown. Then he began to head off towards the direction Naruto ran off to.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
All was still and quiescent in the small clearing in the forest. Except for a few animal calls and rustling, that is. Then, the sound of running footsteps came.  
  
Naruto ran into the clearing and stopped there, breathing heavily from the running. He walked over into the shade of a tall tree and sank down into it, closing his eyes and clearing his mind.  
  
'Go back to Konoha? How could he even ask something like that? That baka Ero-sennin!'  
  
He frowned as memories that he had suppressed came back and reopened the not yet sealed wound the villagers of Konoha gave him in his heart.  
  
::Flashback::  
  
Naruto was walking down the road on his way back from the Hokage's office. Every few weeks or so, the Hokage would call Naruto to him to check up on him and provide him with his allowance to buy his necessities. It was the a little after noon and the sun was blazing in the sky, crushing everyone with its heat and light. The streets of Konoha were crowded as villagers haggled shopkeepers for their weekly essentials and some miscellaneous items.  
  
Naruto, while walking at a fast pace to avoid colliding with anyone, looked up and straight to the sun's rays. He closed his eyes tightly to make the glare go away and while doing so, ran into one of the villagers.  
  
"Ugh! Oh, I'm so-" started the villager. She looked down and saw Naruto, dusting himself off and her eyes widened. "OH MY GOD!!!!! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!" she shrieked. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!"  
  
People from the crowd began to turn to see what was going on.  
  
Naruto's eyes held fear as he walked up and started to apologize.  
  
"No!!! Get AWAY! GET AWAY, GET AWAY!!!"  
  
A circle began to gather as villagers watched the woman's reaction to the demon-child.  
  
"Miss, is he giving you a problem?" one in the crowd spoke. "Hey! Get away from her!" "YeaH! What do you think you're doing running into people?!" More and more people in the crowd started to yell and verbally attack the young blonde. He didn't know what to say. His eyes were wide open and he bit his lip as tears began to form in his eyes.  
  
"You monster! You took away my father!"  
  
"You killed my son!"  
  
"It's your fault my parents are dead!"  
  
Naruto walked backwards as the crowd pushed forward, treating the child with the utmost animosity possible. They hated him. Abhored him. Despised him. He fell and stumbled to get up. The crowd continued to push forward.  
  
"MONSTER!"  
  
"DEMON-CHILD!"  
  
"MURDERER!!!"  
  
He got up as quickly as possible and turned to run for his life. Tears ran down his cheeks and he was unable to stop them. He could still hear the shouts and the names. He could still feel the hatred they had toward him. And he couldn't take it. He ran and ran until he got into his apartment. Then, he just fell to his knees and started sobbing, alone. Just how he was meant to be.  
  
::End Flashback::  
  
It seemed as if he were still running away from his past. The bellows scorned him in his mind. The blonde pulled his knees closer towards himself and blinked away the tears that were forming.  
  
'Why am I a monster? What did I ever do wrong?' he kept asking himself. Suddenly, he whipped his head up and saw Jiraiya standing there.  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
'This kid... I feel so bad for him, but there's no other way. He's going to have to go back either by choice or kicking and screaming. Or else he's never going to be truly happy,' the sennin thought.  
  
"Naruto, you're going to have to return someday. You can't run away from Konoha forever."  
  
"I can try, can't I?" Naruto answered, harshly.  
  
"Not if I have something to say about it! Naruto, Konoha is your home! It is your birthplace, childhood hopes and dreams," Jiraiya said, adding in his thoughts, 'It was the dream of your father, Yondaime, for you to take over his rule one day.'  
  
"I won't go back," he said, firmly.  
  
"Too bad. You don't have a choice."  
  
Jiraiya took out some rope and in a flash, Naruto was tied up.  
  
"Let me go, Ero-sennin!" he said struggling.  
  
"No. You're coming back with me. If you don't do it willingly, in the name of Hokage-sama, you will be dragged back squirming," Jiraiya said as he reached into his sack and pulled out some tape to tape Naruto's mouth shut.  
  
'That ought to keep the trip nice and quiet.'  
  
"You'll thank me for this, Naruto. Konoha women are the finest of the countries!"  
  
He picked up Naruto and started to reminisce his memories of Konoha orally to the blonde.  
  
And this was the beginning of the long trek back to Konoha.  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
One week later...  
  
Jiraiya looked up at the tall, wooden Konoha gates.  
  
"This is it! We've finally arrived!" he said, ebulliently. He then looked down at Naruto to see his tied-up form sleeping.  
  
'Must've struggled until he fell asleep. That stubborn baka...'  
  
He marched up to the gate and until the guards stopped him.  
  
"Name and purpose of visit, please."  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Name?! You don't recognize my handsome face?! I am the great Jiraiya! One of the great Legendary Sennin! How can you not know who I am?!" cried Jiraiya dramatically.  
  
The guards' eyes widened. One spoke up, frantically.  
  
"J-Jiraiya-sama! We apologize for this blunder. Please, forgive us! We haven't seen you for five or six years around here."  
  
Jiraiya scowled and replied, "Just let me pass you morons."  
  
"Y-Yes, Jiraiya-sama!"  
  
Jiraiya picked up Naruto's tied-up form and his bags and proceeded onward into the village. The guards looked at the body skeptically.  
  
"What a strange man..."  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The Hokage sat at his desk writing up some contracts. The day had been uneventful for him, so far. But things always turned up and today would be no different. It was usually, in moments when he wondered if anything interesting would occur, that something interesting did occur.  
  
The Third looked at the contract he held in his hand, checking over the terms and conditions. The contract was written in a neat hand, with the Fire Country's emblem on the top. He picked up a quill and dipped it in ink before he signed it on the bottem.  
  
"Sigh. Two hundred eighty-five down, four hundred thirty-three more to go," said the old man to no one in particular.  
  
The Third suddenly looked up, sensing someone with a large amount of chakra coming towards his office.  
  
'From the balcony!'  
  
He began to move his hands to a jutsu and finished just when two figures burst in the room through the balcony doors.  
  
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"  
  
He took a deep breath and puffed out a burst of fire that came out through his mouth. The flame scorched the two figures and once finished, they were smothered black.  
  
"Senile old man! What was that for?!" the taller figure cried.  
  
The Hokage squinted and looked at the figure before recognizing him.  
  
"... Is that you, Jiraiya?" he asked.  
  
There, he was, without a doubt, with his white hair tinged black from the fire and his gray robes. He still had that strange headband on him as well.  
  
"Age must be making you blind! What do you think you're doing that jutsu on your old student?"  
  
"You came through my window! Only fools and assassins don't use the front door."  
  
"Pssh! I don't have time for doors," Jiraiya said. He glanced around the room.  
  
'This place hasn't changed much,' he noted. Everything was still in place as he last remembered it. There was his sensei's desk, the bookshelves, and all the old scrolls lying around. He noticed a few new pictures on the wall, maybe one or two new pieces of furniture, but otherwise everything was there.  
  
Sandaime noticed his old student hadn't changed as well. He was still the boisterous, arrogant idiot he was when he was a child. He then looked over to his old students side where he saw the body tied up in rope.  
  
"Who is that?" the older man asked, pointing to the body with blonde hair.  
  
"mmM-mMph!" cried the body.  
  
"Oh, him. I forgot he was here. Hahahaha..." said Jiraiya. He picked up the body and positioned it upright. Using a kunai, he cut through the rope. The boy glared at Jiraiya, doggedly. If looks could kill, this one could murder a crowd. The blonde, blue-eyed boy then tore off the duct tape that prevented him from speaking.  
  
"You stinking idiot! I can't believe you kept me tied up for that long!" he cried. He turned to look at the Hokage. The Hokage stared back.  
  
'Those lines on his face... Can it be?' the Hokage thought.  
  
He then turned to Jiraiya.  
  
"Jiraiya, who is that? Is he Naruto?" the old man asked.  
  
Naruto frowned.  
  
'I knew they would forget about me,' he thought.  
  
Jiraiya chuckled and responded, "Yep, that's the brat."  
  
The Third smiled and nodded.  
  
"Anyways, what brings you to Konoha? It's been six years, if I am not wrong."  
  
"I just thought it was about time I brought him back here. I'm gonna leave him here for a while. Besides, I've got to do some research elsewhere. Wanted to put all my time into finishing the rest of my new book. So I need someone to watch the brat for a while 'cause I can't train him."  
  
The reactions he received from the two were completely different.  
  
One shouted indifferently: "YOU'RE LEAVING ME HERE!? YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!!"  
  
The other: "Oh, I see."  
  
"Glad you understand! Well, I've got some research to do," said Jiraiya, enthusiastically.  
  
"I wonder if any new bathhouses were built," he mumbled to himself, as he jumped off the balcony and in a puff of smoke, he vanquished.  
  
"Noo!!! Ero-sennin! You can't go!!" cried Naruto, rather desperately.  
  
Sandaime just smiled and waved goodbye.  
  
Naruto, then, sat down and dramatically sobbed. "ERO-SENNIN!"  
  
The Hokage sweat-dropped.  
  
"Well, Naruto, as the Hokage of Konoha, I'm glad to be the first to welcome you home."  
  
Naruto got up silently. His eyes were shaded over so one couldn't see the pain in his eyes.  
  
"Home?" he said solemnly. "Konoha is not my home. To me, there is no such thing as home. Stop trying to be cheerful and nice. You all hate me. You were glad I was gone. The villagers probably were celebrating the day I left crying, 'Finally! That monster left!' But how am I a monster?! How? HOW?!"  
  
"Calm down, Naruto. How about I treat you to some ramen? You used to love it when you were a child."  
  
Naruto looked at the Third. He hadn't changed much. He was still old, with the same traditional attire of a Hokage. Tears began to form in his eyes.  
  
"I don't understand. How come it seems you're the only one who treats me like a person here? You were the only one who was nice to me as a kid. Why? Why?!" Naruto cried as he broke into sobs.  
  
The old man smiled.  
  
"Come, I'll explain it to you when we get to Ichiraku. You still like ramen right?"  
  
Naruto's sobs came to a stop. He hesitated a bit before looking up and smiling, surprised the old man had remembered.  
  
"Are you kidding me? I could never get over that stuff," he replied.  
  
TBC  
  
----------------------------------  
  
A/N: Gosh that took a few days... Sorry minna-san, I had homework and skoo... plus this SAT class that im takin isn't helping me to finish this chapter...  
  
I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter and please R&R! 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! reupdating kuz I felt like it. hehehe. Thanks for all the reviews but I wonder if I'm updating waaaay too early... hahah it's a tendency. Once I have a chappie up I just feel like a second should come after... maybe a bit too fast no? but we'll just have to see...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
  
------------------------  
  
Okay, just a lil note I wanted to add... I'm thinking of removing a few things but im not sure what you readers prefer... 1) the "previously" thing... I'm sure it doesn't make much of a difference so on to the next one... 2) The point of view notes because I don't really use point of view anyways... I simply don't use anything other than omniscient (am I right?) I just don't do first person POV or anything of the sort. 3) probably that lil section that explains what a "and ' is... I don't think I need that right?  
  
Well on to the reviewers' questions and just stuff I want to comment upon...  
  
Hyper yo yo boy: oh that must really suck. =b blunt but true... hmmm but I do enjoy the classes I take... it's just the other stuff that sucks... which basically is the homework and the constant testing... have to memorize a hundred words a week, who wouldn't want to quit? Hahaha I'm glad you enjoyed those parts... they were a lot more interesting to write so I guess they were pretty interesting to read as well... but what would I know, I'm not the reader. thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the chapter/ficcie.  
  
CanalVorfeed1: hahaha I wasn't sure whether to use "dump" or "hellhole" in that lil part... I guess I put dump kuz its "not a bad word" but eh... hehe its good to hear you liked that section and that you think the characterization is good, but I'm not sure if I should really do so much of it... hahaha I'm forgettin to write the story now... I mean three chapters and Naruto still hasn't met Kakashi, or have any contact with any of the other characters... so I'm a bit skeptical about the amount of time I spend on it... hehe thanks for your review and maybe on this chapter you'll be the first the review this time!  
  
Blaboy: Hmmm... I can't really quite answer that... lets just say it depends... I think I have this thing when I update only during the night (I'm partly nocturnal due to the mass amounts of hmwk I get in skoo lolx) all I can say is for sure, I'll usually update at least once a week, or if I get tons of reviews and in my mirth, I'll go on a lil phase where I wont think about anything but the next chapters of mah ficcie... or maybe when I'm inspired... like after I read another good ficcie, and begin to think like "I want to be as good as its safe to say though, for the time being, I'm addicted and will be updating about every three or four days ... or every 10 reviews... what can I say? They inspire me! I hope you enjoy my ficcie and I also hope to see more reviews from ya!  
  
TomokiG: hehehe! Thanks! I guess I find it ezier writing stuff a bit more realistically.. =b but I'm glad you liked it. and I think it is true that it take a miracle for naruto not to be like comfortable in his home town after a rough childhood... but most stories do put that, but it makes sense with their stories. Hehe either way, thank you sooo much for reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Per: First of all, I'm a girl, so I'd have a lot of trouble writing him as perverted... like really perverted... and truthfully, he is perverted... I think it was in the episode with Konohamaru when he took the kid in to look at a porno magazine.... Hehehe. Uhmmm.. thanks for the compliment on mah grammar, ' I guess this lil section is a bit conflicting with what you said... hahahah... well it'd be embarrassing to write mah ficcie in anything other than perfect grammer... for the comments section though, I guess I'm a bit more comfortable writing in slang... or just lazier =b thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter and its grammar as well! =b  
  
Thanks also to the other reviewers. Gotta say, you guys rock!  
  
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Chapter 4 – Ramen: The Healer of Past Wounds  
  
[A/N: heheh, don't you like mah title? It doesn't make sense with this chapter but its still kewl!!]  
  
"Click."  
  
The key still worked. At least they didn't try to kick him out of his old apartment... yet. A panal next to the door read "Room 299 : Uzamaki Naruto."  
  
The blonde turned the knob and the door creaked. He walked into the dark room and then hit the switch for the lights. The lights flickered a bit before they steadied with a constant beam. The blonde looked into the room. Nothing had changed.  
  
'I guess all the people who wanted to buy an apartment at the time while I was gone thought this place was cursed,' thought Naruto, as he smirked bitterly. 'I expected it to be burned down or something after I left. Guess the old man didn't let that happen.'  
  
He looked around the apartment. There was his old bed that was almost rock- hard. He had remembered when he bought it the dealer would only give him that one. And there was the table that was somewhat lopsided and worn-out. It was his best piece of furniture, which was sad. The boy then walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He grinned widely. There they were. All his supply of ramen he had left behind because he couldn't carry it all with him in his travels.  
  
'Hmmmm... I could sure use some ramen right now,' he thought, 'even though I just came back from Ichiraku with the Hokage.'  
  
He reached in and rummaged around the stacks of noodles until he pulled out one that read "Beef Flavored." While he prepared it, he reminisced on what the he and the Hokage had spoken about.  
  
Flashback  
  
"One large specialty ramen bowl and a regular chicken ramen please," ordered the Hokage to the man in the stand.  
  
"Right away, Hokage-sama. On the house," replied the man with a smile. He then went to the back of the stand where he and his daughter began cooking.  
  
The Hokage and Naruto were sitting on the barstools in a comfortable silence. Of course, there was still the hustle and bustle of the village outside the ramen stand. The sun was barely setting as the sky became darker, lighting up with the stars in the sky. Villagers were outside, enjoying the cool evening while gossiping about the latest jutsu, or the progress of someone by the name of Uchiha, or about the latest mission. Laughs could be heard by Naruto and his companion.  
  
'They sound so happy when they think I'm not here,' Naruto thought glumly.  
  
A bowl of ramen was then placed in front of his face. Naruto looked up to see the old ramen chef.  
  
He smiled at Naruto and said, "You remind me of this kid who used to come to my stand. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, too. Great fan of ramen, so I would see him often. Hahaha, I wonder what happened to that kid..." His face had an expression of fondness when he was speaking of this blonde, blue-eyed boy.  
  
Naruto smiled.  
  
"Well, enjoy your ramen. You too Hokage-sama."  
  
"Thank you, Teuchi." Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, smiled and went back to cooking.  
  
"So Naruto, how was traveling with Jiraiya?" asked the Third, starting the conversation.  
  
Naruto mumbled something, while slurping up some of his ramen. The old man gave him a look of confusion.  
  
"It was fine," Naruto repeated. He wasn't really interested in telling the Hokage every little aspect of his travels with the frog hermit.  
  
"Ero-sennin and I just traveled around. That's all."  
  
The Third nodded and smiled before he said, "I suppose he trained you as well? You know, at one point in his life, Jiraiya was Yondaime's sensei."  
  
Naruto nodded, taking note of what the other man had said. He knew the whole story of what had happened to Yondaime. To be from Hidden Leaf and not know would be something like a crime. The Fourth died sealing the Kyuubi.  
  
[A/N: remember... Naruto doesn't know about Kyuubi being sealed inside him]  
  
Sandaime started talking about the changes in Konoha while Naruto was gone. They went on like this for an hour or two, while empty bowls of ramen were being refilled and re-emptied.  
  
"Tomorrow I want you to go to the village ninja academy. They're taking the Genin exam tomorrow and since you're going to be here for a while, why don't you consider joining a genin group?" asked the Third.  
  
"Well, I don't know old man... I'm not sure if I'm ready yet..." he mumbled quietly.  
  
Sandaime gave him a gentle pat on the back and said, "I know you're a little worried, but you have to have faith in the people. If I'm not mistaken, I once knew a blonde, blue-eyed boy who wanted to become Hokage. And this kid wouldn't give up. He was quite stubborn about it, but I believed he could do it."  
  
Naruto smiled and looked up to the him as the old man continued, "I still believe that he could do it. He may have to start out small and unknown, but he will become great if he truly believes he can do it."  
  
Naruto faked a heavy sigh. "Fine, fine. If you want me to join that badly. I guess it'll be entertaining for the time being."  
  
End Flashback  
  
[A/N: too long? Not sure... hmmm]  
  
He looked to see the ramen done cooking.  
  
"Well, don't mind if I do!" he said, digging into the ramen. [A/N: whats that word they say when they start eating? Ikaidesumasu? Is that it?]  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
The laughter of children his age could be heard all around him. Naruto walked into the school campus, watching the younger kids run around, playing tag or whatever children of ninja did. It was a little before 8 a.m. in the morning and the sun was out in the sky, shining warmly upon the village of Konoha  
  
The blonde was somewhat lost. Naruto had never gone to the academy before, so he didn't know which way lead to where. Not that he would ever need to go to the academy. He probably learned more about being a shinobi from traveling on the road with Ero-senin than what he would have learned from the academy. The bell sounded as the students stopped what they were doing and headed toward the main building.  
  
'Guess I should just follow the older looking kids,' he thought, 'or maybe I can ask that guy. He looks like a teacher.'  
  
"Hey mister! Uhmmm, do you know where they're having the genin exam is?" Naruto asked a man with white, shoulder-length hair.  
  
The man, to his comrades known as Mizuki, was dressed in chuunin attire. He looked at the boy with surprise, before recovering and answering.  
  
"Go to the main building and go straight down the hall. When you get to the end, turn to your left."  
  
"Thanks, mister." Naruto said, walking towards the building at a slow pace, not really sure if he still wanted to do this anymore.  
  
'So, the Kyuubi brat has returned,' thought Mizuki. A wicked smirk tugged at his face as he formulated a plan to finally get out of Konoha with the scroll he sought.  
  
Students who were late could see Mizuki standing in the middle of the playground, smirking to himself before a puff showing the chuunin teacher had disappeared.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Iruka looked at the scene before him. The twelve-year-olds were in the classroom, gossiping and talking loudly. He could hear "Oh! Sasuke-kun is sooo kawaii!" and "How troublesome" and more so often "I'll be a genin before you do, just watch!"  
  
'I feel a migraine coming on,' he thought, sighing to himself.  
  
"QUIET!!" he shouted rubbing his temples. The class immediately stopped talking as the students fumbled to their seats to wait for the test to commence. The rows of students watched Iruka intently.  
  
"POOF!" A puff of smoke appeared beside Iruka.  
  
"What took you?" Iruka asked the figure, which was apparently, Mizuki. His comrade just smiled at him and replied, "Just making sure the students got to class."  
  
The door opened and a blonde boy walked into the room, nonchalantly. He looked around and saw Mizuki. The teacher smiled and waved at the boy, but the boy had turned away already, looking at the other direction. He frowned at this.  
  
"Hmmm, are you the boy the Hokage said would be joining us for the exam?" Iruka asked. 'So this is how Naruto grew up to be.'  
  
Whispers began to go around in the classroom of their new student, who was wearing another gray shirt with pockets here and there. His black shorts had secret pockets, for holding more weapons and a few scroll and the bandages on this arm and leg were still there. And of course, he had his holster with sharpened kunai and shuriken, sharper than the ones academy students were to hold. Iruka turned to the students to give them a look, hushing them again. He then turned to the blonde. The blonde boy nodded silently, obviously not having anything to say.  
  
"Welcome to the class!" he said enthusiastically. "I am Iruka-sensei! This is the teacher of the other class, Mizuki-sensei."  
  
He sweat dropped when he noticed Naruto was looking elsewhere.  
  
Mizuki walked to the desk, pulled open a drawer, and pulled out an application. He picked up a pen and asked the blonde, "May I have your name please? Then, you may fill out this application for the genin examination."  
  
The blonde nodded and replied, "Uzumaki Naruto." He grabbed the application and pen from Mizuki and began to fill out the form.  
  
"Class, this is Uzumaki Naruto. He will be our new student. Please make sure to make him feel welcome here."  
  
Iruka then turned to Mizuki and said that they should go into the exam room.  
  
"We will be calling your names one by one. Please take out your applications because we will need them," he stated aloud to the class.  
  
"Hai!" chorused the class. Naruto looked up and handed the form to the black haired teacher with the ponytail. Iruka smiled as he took the form and added it to the handful on his desk. He picked up the stack, and the two teachers turned and headed towards the examination room.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
One by one, students went into the room, nervously. But there were still a large number of students to go. They were all gathered in their small groups, anxiously waiting to hear their names. One girl, Haruno Sakura, was with a group of girls who were all arguing who would be the first to marry the class hottie, Uchiha Sasuke. This Sasuke character, however, was sitting in the second row by alone quietly, but sort of in a don't-come- near-me-or-my-eyes-will-shoot-daggers-at-you way. But this only made him more tempting to the girls.  
  
Naruto, who was sitting on the opposing side of the room where Sasuke was sitting, was busy correcting Ero-senin's grammar in the Icha Icha Violence book. The frog hermit, though a great ninja, was terrible in grammar and spelling. Once in a while, the blonde could be seen blushing and giggling, other times his eye would be as wide, staring at the text. But most of the time he was just looking using his red marker, writing little notes on the book. Most of the students just looked at him oddly, for just sitting there, doing that.  
  
'Hmmmm... I wonder what this how you spell this word...' he thought. 'Maybe one of these "students" would know.' He casually got up and started looking around the classroom. His eyes wandered to a boy with a ponytail, but he noticed the boy was sleeping. He then saw a girl with pink hair.  
  
'She has a wide forehead. Doesn't that represent brains or something?'  
  
He walked to where the pink haired girl was standing. She was squealing over some guy's gifted talent.  
  
"Hey, excuse me, girl. How do you spell this word?" Naruto asked, pointing to a word in the book.  
  
The girl looked over and saw the book in his hands. Her eyes widened and she blushed.  
  
"N-Naruto! T-that book is for ADULTS only!!!" she shouted, red as tomato.  
  
One of Naruto's eyebrows rose up as she was shouting.  
  
"Yeeesh! Alright, alright already! You can stop yelling!" Naruto said.  
  
'Gosh you'd think they could be a little more mature.'  
  
He then looked elsewhere around the room. His eyes fell on a boy with a dark blue ensemble that had a red fan on the back. The boy was sitting by himself next to a group of other students. The girl he had been talking to earlier seemed to be staring at this boy, too.  
  
'Seems as if he's the smartest in the class,' Naruto thought to himself. He strode over to the boy and jumped on the table, crouching down. The other boy was surprised, but tried to hide it. His eyes widened for a moment before returning to a cold glare. He looked up at Naruto and said in a cold tone,  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Geez what is it with you Konoha students? Whatever. How do you spell this word?" he asked bringing the book to the boy's sight. All the other girls in the classroom were staring at the Uchiha, waiting for his reaction to the perverted book.  
  
When Naruto brought up Icha Icha Violence, a light pink blush tinged Sasuke's cheeks. None-the-less, having the I'm-more-mature-than-you-are attitude, he tried to look casual as he wrote it down for Naruto. Naruto grinned.  
  
A boy behind Naruto then got up, having heard his name being called and bumped into Naruto, knocking Naruto onto Sasuke.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me."  
  
The two wound up in a lip lock. They froze in that position. The girls watching froze as well. The two boys' eyes widened before separating and spitting in disgust. The girls were shocked.  
  
"Ugh!!"  
  
"Yuck! I kissed a boy!! EWWWWW!"  
  
Naruto looked up suddenly. "I sense danger."  
  
And there danger was. All the girls in the class were glaring at him. The pink hair girl spoke first.  
  
"OH MY GOD! THAT BOY TOOK SASUKE-KUN'S FIRST KISS!" A collection of shouts and shrieks were heard from the girls but the two boys were trying to clean their mouths. They began to close in on their prey.  
  
[A/N: Heheheh! Sorry, I just had to recreate that scene. Classic Naruto moment, don't you think?]  
  
"You may be a new student but..." Sakura said in a treacherous tone.  
  
"Uchiha Sasuke!" called out Iruka, as he stepped into the room. He looked at the scene and once again and grimaced as that migraine came back.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Mizuki turned to look at Iruka, with fake worry in his eyes. His comrade was rubbing his temples with his eyes shut close tight.  
  
"You don't look well, Iruka-sensei. Maybe you should take a momentary breather. We're almost done anyways," Mizuki said.  
  
"Maybe you're right, Mizuki-sensei," replied Iruka. "I'm going to find some aspirin and a glass of water. I'll be back in ten minutes or so."  
  
Mizuki smiled and nodded, thinking, 'Now's my chance.'  
  
And as soon as Iruka left, Mizuki made a hand seal.  
  
"Bunshin no Jutsu!"  
  
He soon made another seal and cried out "Henge!" changing himself to a doppelganger of Iruka. He smirked to himself and had the copy go into the classroom.  
  
"Uzumaki Naruto! It's your turn now," said the copy of Iruka.  
  
Naruto looked up and replied, "Hai."  
  
He followed the clone into the other room, suspicious of it.  
  
Mizuki got up as he saw Naruto come into the room.  
  
"Okay, Naruto-kun. To become a Genin, we must send you off in a mission to retrieve something for us. It's to test your skills as a ninja," explained Mizuki.  
  
Naruto nodded cautiously.  
  
"Go on."  
  
Mizuki smiled and went on to say, "The scroll is a "Scroll of Forbidden Seals." You must be able to retrieve it from the administrative building and inside the scroll; it holds your future as a Genin."  
  
Naruto nodded solemnly and in a puff of smoke, he was gone.  
  
[A/N: See this is where he is a lil overqualified. hehe]  
  
Mizuki then dismissed the clone of Iruka, smirking to himself.  
  
'Once he gets the scroll, everyone will be frantically looking for Naruto. I'll spread the word throughout the village a little more, then I'll get rid of Naruto. I'll make it look like Naruto disappeared with the scroll,' he thought deviously.  
  
Iruka, the real one that is, stepped back into the room, with a smile on his face.  
  
"Thanks for the break, Mizuki. I needed it."  
  
He walked over to the desk where the papers were.  
  
"Hmmmm, it seems we only have one student left to test. The new kid, Uzumaki Naruto."  
  
Mizuki got up and said, "Why don't you sit down and let me go get him?"  
  
Iruka smiled and thanked him. He sat down and waited for his comrade to return with the student.  
  
Mizuki returned looking frantic.  
  
"Iruka! The boy has gone after the village's Scroll of Forbidden Seals!"  
  
Iruka's eyes widened and he said, "I'll go tell the Hokage, immediately! You go look for Naruto!"  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Naruto was breathing heavily as he leaned over to try to even out his heart breathing. If they heard him breathing too heavily and so irregularly, they would immediately know it was him. They were the ninjas who were chasing Naruto when he took the scroll. He had managed to escape them temporarily in the forests of Konoha, but he knew they were coming.  
  
'Geez, this Konoha sure has interesting tests to become a Genin. I would hate to see the Chuunin Exam,' he thought to himself, as he fell over onto the grass.  
  
Flashback  
  
Mizuki smiled and went on to say, "The scroll is a "Scroll of Forbidden Seals." You must be able to retrieve it from the administrative building and inside the scroll; it holds your future as a Genin."  
  
End Flashback  
  
'Hmmm, I guess he was telling me that inside the scroll have something that I need to know.'  
  
He opened the scroll and realized it was a scroll on techniques. Then, something clicked in his head.  
  
"Oh! They want me to be able to learn these techniques to pass, as well as getting the scroll!" he said to no one in particular, but still ebullient that he had figured out what Mizuki had meant.  
  
He looked down at the open scroll and read aloud,  
  
"Let's see... the first skill is... Kage Bunshin?"  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Iruka jumped from branch to branch, looking for the blonde boy who had taken the Scroll of Forbidden Seals.  
  
Flashback  
  
A crowd of chuunin teachers were standing in front of the Hokage's house.  
  
"A student from Iruka's class has returned and stolen the Scroll of Forbidden Seals as a joke!" cried a teacher to the others and the Hokage.  
  
"He won't get away with it!" cried one in the crowd.  
  
"Yes, those are dangerous seals forbidden by the previous Hokage. If used in certain ways, it can cause incredible trouble."  
  
End Flashback  
  
He frowned as he continued to look. Then he saw a figure with his back on the trunk, breathing erratically.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha ha! I've finally found you!" he shouted.  
  
Naruto looked up. He frowned and said "You found me... And I've only learned one skill..."  
  
Iruka frowned and said "Naruto, where did you get that scroll on your back?"  
  
Naruto then calmly got up and said, "Is this some sort of trick question? It's part of the Genin exam right? Mizuki-sensei told me about it and how to get it, too. Why? What's wrong? I still get to pass the exam right? I had figured it was part of the exam to get the scroll and learn its contents."  
  
Iruka looked confused.  
  
'Mizuki? He told Naruto to do this?' he thought to himself.  
  
Naruto's eyes then widened and he jumped and shoved Iruka out onto the floor as a dozen or so kunai flew straight at them.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" cried Naruto, confused.  
  
He then looked toward the direction where the kunai had come from. And standing there on top of the branch was Mizuki, with two large shuriken on his back, leaning on the trunk of the tree.  
  
"Nice job finding him before I did, Iruka-senseeei," he said, stressing the "sensei" as a mock.  
  
"What's going on here, Iruka-sensei? Is this some sort of trick part to the test or something? It's getting a little out of hand," said Naruto.  
  
'I see... so that's what's going on. He convinced Naruto it was part of the Genin exam to retrieve the scroll for him!' thought Iruka.  
  
"Naruto-kun, give me the scroll and then you're a Genin for sure," said Mizuki.  
  
"No Naruto!! Don't let him get at the scroll! Even if it takes your life!" cried Iruka, frantically.  
  
Naruto frowned.  
  
"This wasn't a test was it?" he asked in a low voice.  
  
"That is a dangerous scroll that has forbidden ninjutsu in it! Mizuki used you to get his hands on it!"  
  
"Naruto, you're the boy who left six years ago, weren't you? Maybe I should tell you the truth to why everyone is always calling you a 'monster,' even though, it is true."  
  
"WHAT? NO MIZUKI! DON'T DO IT!"  
  
"Twelve years ago, you know about the fox demon being sealed right? Since then, it had been a rule not to let you know you are the fox demon in Konoha not to let you know about it."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Naruto said, with a still low voice.  
  
"STOP IT MIZUKI!" Iruka cried out desperately.  
  
"It means you are the nine tails demon that killed and destroyed the village. You were lied to by everyone. Didn't you find it odd that everyone hated you? That was because it was YOU who killed their family, destroyed their homes and took away their dreams."  
  
Naruto's eyes were shaded over. Iruka was silent and Mizuki was laughing hysterically. Naruto then looked up, his eyes flashing red before turning back into their sky blue color. He glared at Mizuki, who had stopped laughing and was smirking at Naruto instead.  
  
"Guess that explains a lot," he said quietly.  
  
"Well now, I'll ask you again. Hand over the scroll."  
  
"Let's see... Iruka-sensei, if I can beat this guy, would I pass the exam?" asked Naruto, quietly.  
  
"I don't know Naru-" Iruka started.  
  
"Defeat me? Ha! What a bluff!" interrupted Mizuki.  
  
Naruto's fist clenched before they relaxed again.  
  
"Let's see, you're a chuunin, am I right? This shouldn't take much."  
  
And then, in a flash, Naruto ran up the tree and appeared right behind Mizuki.  
  
"Wha-"  
  
POW! [A/N Lame I know]  
  
Naruto punched Mizuki. The teacher flew off and hit the other tree in a harsh impact. Mizuki then coughed up blood before falling out of conscious.  
  
Iruka got up and then walked over to Naruto, surprised he had such... such potential and such skill already.  
  
"Come on Naruto," he started after a few minutes of silence. "I'll treat you to some dinner."  
  
Naruto dusted his gray shirt. Looking up, he smiled before he said, "Can we go get ramen?"  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
"Iruka-sensei, did Kyuubi kill your parents too?" Naruto asked.  
  
The two were at Ichiraku and had been eating quietly for a few minutes already. Naruto was still eating some ramen as he looked at his teacher intently.  
  
"Yes, it did. But it's not your fault, Naruto. You had nothing to do with it."  
  
Naruto sat quietly.  
  
"I remember how it was when I was your age too. I was an orphan as well. I know the pain you went through. But it was easier on me than it was on you. But I still know how it feels and I understand why you ran away."  
  
The blonde smiled at his comment and turned to continue eating his ramen.  
  
TBC  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
HAHAH! Yes! Finished! Spent the whole day writing this... and what a doozy to write too! I don't understand how people can write twenty pages yet but hahahaha this is a lot for me right now...  
  
Let me make these few notes... 1) I'm sorry I had to put the kiss! I thought it was just to funny to pass on! 2) The whole thing is totally mostly on how naruto finds out about having Kyuubi sealed inside him and learning kage bunshin. He had to learn and I don't think I wanted to have jiraiya teach him the bunshin technique... plus, I didn't want to have kyuubi talking to naruto secretly either so yea...  
  
I really had fun kind of rewriting the story a little; it may be too much but =b  
  
Please R&R and I hope you all enjoyed the ficcie! 


	5. Chapter 5

Okay! Here's the rewrite for chapter four... there may be some big changes but yea... nothing that BIG... - how do I explain this? Hahaha oh wellz

Hey all! Hmm... for this chapter... its gonna take a while to finish... I don't even know if I can finish it in this week since I have so much hwmk... but it'll be a gradual process... so I hope you guys enjoy this when im done  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own naruto at all.  
  
Author's response:  
  
Kori Nibiki: =b thanks so much for your compliments and I totally agree with what you said about seein the different ways an author can bring out a story. Thanks for your review and enjoy the chapter! =]  
  
Lalala and Mahina and anonymous: hehehe thanks! =b I didn't know people actually replied to those lil notes authors make thanks soo much for ur review and enjoy the chapter!  
  
Inferno-dragonz: hahaha yea I don't think they make much sense either... but it sucks that most authors portray the sasuke relationship w/ naruto as either one of two. 1. "I'm so envious of narutos new power that I a) turn completely evil b) work harder and still suck in the end and wind up somewhat hatin Naruto. 2. I secretly love naruto. Heheeh... sorry to all the sasunaru lovers tho... I mean no offense to ya'll. But u gotta admit, it was a funny scene on the anime... I just hope mine can somewhat compete and make sense at the same time. Thanks for reading and enjoy!  
  
Hinanaru: too short eh? Hahah it may be short to read but damn! What a long time it takes to write!  
  
TomokiG: don't worry, I don't get discouraged ez... that is unless someone flames me xX as for the comment about Sandaime telling naruto bout his past, I was attempting (apparently not very well) to kill two birds with one stone. The reasoning behind this was that, okay, Naruto has two very distinct things that happen to him in the beginning. 1. he learns kage bunshin. 2. he finds out about kyuubi. Kage bunshin is like "forbidden" so I didn't think it'd be good if jiraiya taught him it but to have kyuubi revealed to naruto from the third was my original plan. As for the repeat on mizuki, my bad! xX hehehe.... I didn't realize it was so soon... =b I hope this chapter suits ur tastes a lil better and thanks for the criticism. I appreciate it. Hehehe  
  
Element4lyfe: it should work by now, no? =/ to be so deprived from my fanfic! Oh the horror! (im just kidding... excuse the arrogance)  
  
Joekool: hehehe thanks for the compliment! I hope this chapter doesn't make u sense an end to my fanfic! (I'm trying too hard to be witty; you'll hafta excuse that) hehehe enjoy the ficcie!  
  
And thanks all to the other readers out there who review!!! You people soooooo rock!  
  
Chapter 4: Naruto's Tattoo  
  
"Damn demon-child, get away from me!"  
  
"No! Stay away from my children!!"  
  
"Psh. You don't deserve to live in Konoha."  
  
"Go away! You're not wanted here!"  
  
"Monster!!!"  
  
"Monster..."  
  
"Mons-"  
  
Naruto jolted up from his bed in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily at a fast and unsteady rate. The sweat ran down in face and his hair was tousled from tossing and turning. The blonde, with the dismay showing in his eyes, clutched his blanket tightly. He could still hear the echoes of the names and the insults ringing in his head.  
  
His head was pounding and his whole body felt like it was on fire, burning him with pain and torture for a moment. He winced in pain.  
  
"Must be getting the chills," he muttered in annoyance.  
  
Turning to the alarm clock, he saw it was three in the morning. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while after that, he got up and walked to where he stored his medicine and first aid kit. He took out a white box with a red cross on it and opened it wide, revealing an array of capsules, each marked with the contents and what they were to do. Clutching his shoulder with his left hand, he picked up a sleeping pill capsule, opened it, and downed a couple pills on the spot.  
  
'I hope it kicks in soon.'  
  
The young boy closed and put away the kit, then turned and walked to the balcony. He stepped out into the cool night and looked up to the sky. It was still dark and a crescent moon was perched in the sky. Its light shone on Konoha, peaceful and quiet. He could see a few ANBU jumping around, surveying the area as they went to their locations, but no one was really outside other than that. It was just ... peaceful. Something he wasn't used to yet. He was used to camping out in forests, listening to nature lulling him to sleep, but it was just... silent. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air and sighed before he turned and walked back into the apartment, closing the door behind him.  
  
Naruto began to feel a little lightheaded and yawned from the drowsiness.

'Ah. They're already kicking in.'

He jumped into his bed and dozed off, this time, into a dreamless sleep.

Naruto walked into the classroom, which was already filled with chatter. The students all had their forehead protectors on, telling the world that they were official ninja of Hidden Leaf, though they were only genin.  
  
'Gosh, they're so... loud...' the blonde thought, looking at some of the girls squealing like they were completely insane.  
  
Naruto walked through the small gatherings and went straight to an empty seat, where he leaned back into the chair and watched his peers chatter incessantly. Apparently, that Uchiha kid, who happened to be sitting in the seat next to him, was quite popular and was the top student in the class. Naruto smirked at this. It wasn't like competition was a bad thing. How hard could it be to show up a kid who's never had experience like himself? While pondering on these things, the classroom door opened and in walked Iruka-sensei. The students ran to their seats and hushed, waiting for their teacher to start the class.  
  
Two of the loudest girls that were arguing, took a seat down behind Naruto and Sasuke. One was a blonde blue-eyed girl; the other was the pink haired girl that Naruto had spoken with the other day. They were arguing over some frivolous things that Naruto wasn't bothering to listen to. Instead, he sat there with a new stack of pages to Jiraiya's book, editing again. The old man would send him new chapters every once and so often and he had just gotten the new update yesterday. But he put them away as their Chuunin teacher began to talk.  
  
"Alright, class has started. Keep quiet while I arrange the last of the teams," Iruka-sensei called out to the class.  
  
The two girls "HMPH!"-ed [A/N hahh dumb I know] and ignored each other. Sakura looked down at the person seated in front of her, who happened to be that new blonde student, Uzumaki Naruto.  
  
'Hmm... I wonder who this new student is... He seems a bit more mysterious than everyone else here... Of course he isn't as hot as my Sasuke-kun,' Sakura thought to herself.  
  
She glanced over him and noted his dark clothing. The blonde wasn't one for flashy clothing that was for sure. She noticed the bandages all over his arm and leg and wondered if they were just for fashionable purposes or if he had injured himself in some way. But then again, the blonde was just a genin... and most genin didn't do anything dangerous, but maybe he got himself in a situation from where he came from. Then, she saw him shiver a bit.  
  
'That's odd. It's rather warm, isn't it?' she asked herself. She blinked and then ignored it.  
  
'Hahaha, maybe he has a cold or something, but if I were sick, I wouldn't come to school.'  
  
As Iruka-sensei started speaking, she looked up to hear him talk about being new genins, the jounin teachers and the genin groups. Most of the students at this point were trying to think of whom they wanted in their teams while Iruka was assigning the teams.  
  
"Next is the seventh group. Uzumaki Naruto... Haruno Sakura... And Uchiha Sasuke."  
  
The pink-haired girl jumped up at this and yelled out, "YEA!" Her two new teammates, however, kept their expressions differed from hers. Sasuke was looking as if it didn't make much of a difference, and of course, to him, it didn't really. Naruto raised his eyebrow at the shout and began to wonder if the three would be able to work out. After the teams were listed, their teacher explained the reasoning behind the arrangements of the groups and other things they needed to know.  
  
"I'm going to introduce the Jounin teachers in the afternoon. Meeting adjourned until then!" Iruka-sensei stated.  
  
"Ino-pig, love prevailed and decided I was the one meant to be on Sasuke's team, ultimately to become his girlfriend!" cried out Sakura to the blonde girl next to her.  
  
"Shut up forehead girl. Sasuke-kun's gonna be on MINE in the end!!" refuted Ino.  
  
"Ino-pig!" "Forehead girl!"  
  
The two girls growled and glared at each other, electricity sparking in their glare.  
  
Naruto had gotten up as soon his teacher had finished talking. He turned and caught her and Ino in the middle of their argument. His eyebrows furrowed and he gave an expression of confusion. He sweatdropped and dismissed the argument, which had stopped when he turned.  
  
"Uhmmmm, you're Sakura-san, right?" he asked.  
  
She nodded and saw him turn to the blue-haired boy sitting next to him and ask,  
  
"And you're Sasuke-san, no?"  
  
"Yep! That's Sasuke-kun!" Sakura answered for Sasuke, whom was getting up.  
  
Naruto smiled and said, "This is fantastic! I've got two of the top students in my group! Looks like I won't have to do anything!"  
  
Naruto chuckled at this and turned to walk out of the classroom. He had a date with a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku waiting for him. His new teammates, however, were not so pleased with his comment, both sweatdropping.  
  
'That lazy bum,' the two thought.  
  
A few hours later, Team Seven found themselves waiting for their jounin teacher. By a few hours, it was more like a few hours after every other jounin teacher had picked up his or her students. In fact, at this point, even Iruka had gone home, leaving the three to wait for their new sensei.  
  
The three were sitting in the classroom, each doing their own thing. But of course, they were all annoyed by the fact that they were the last ones in school, still waiting. Sasuke was sitting on his seat, isolating himself from his teammates. Sakura was pacing around, looking at the clock every half minute before sighing and pacing more. Naruto was sitting on the desks, shining some kunai and shurinken. He put down the cloth he was using and put away the sharp weapons. He then put his head down and started to drift to sleep.  
  
::Dream Sequence::  
  
"Huh, where am I?" Naruto asked.  
  
He was standing in a pitch-black area. He turned in circles but saw nothing else but the complete darkness, covering him, with not an inch of light shining through from anywhere. The blonde began to wander endlessly, leading him to nowhere, just more dark places. Then, the floor, if there ever was one, dissipated and he started freefalling. While falling he could hear the taunts and jeers again; they haunted him endlessly, not giving the twelve-year-old boy any sympathy.  
  
He tried to cry for help, but he couldn't hear anything come out of his throat. He was just falling deeper and deeper... and deeper into the dark... Suddenly, he heard a growl. He looked to his left and saw a pair of red eyes. They eyes, or more likely, the owner of the eyes growed at him.

In a growl, it said, or sounded like it laughed, mockingly at Naruto.

"Hehehe. Looks like you're going to need me sooner than you think..."

Naruto began to be pulled in the direction of the voice.

"What?!"

Meanwhile....  
  
Sasuke was sitting quietly to himself, trying to ignore Sakura's annoying flirting.  
  
'Sigh. She will just weigh me down and hold me back,' he thought to himself.  
  
Suddenly, the boy next to him, Naruto, began thrashing in his sleep. The two looked at him, wondering what was going on in the mind of his.  
  
"Oh my god! I think there's something wrong with him!" cried Sakura. She rushed over to where Naruto was hunched over in his sleep. Sasuke, also curious, had also jumped down to where his teammate was trembling.  
  
"Why's he shaking?" she asked, scared of what might happen.  
  
Sasuke shrugged. Sakura frowned and started to pull his shirt down from the opening. The two peered into the shirt and saw a black tattoo of something. It was outlined a fiery red and looked as if it were on fire. It was right there on his stomach, but then, it faded quickly.  
  
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes fluttered open, and he gasped for air, scaring away his two other teammates. He was bewildered.

"What!?" he yelled, not knowing what was going on. He pulled down his shirt and blushed heavily. "Sakura, as teammates, I don't think it'd be a good ide—"

The blonde then bolted up, reached into his shurinken holster and threw three of his shurinken to the doorway. And just walking in that moment was Hatake Kakashi. The newcomer's eyes widened before he caught the shurinken flying straight at him. Naruto looked at Kakashi, almost recognizing him from somewhere before he collapsed onto the desk.  
  
"Hmmm... this isn't good," Kakashi stated.

A light breeze blew through the window and into the room, which aroused Naruto from his dreamless sleep. He opened his eyes and slowly got up, wincing a bit because his shoulder blade was still in pain. But when he looked around him, he realized he wasn't at home. In fact, he was still at the academy, just lying down on a mat. The blonde forced himself to sit upright, no matter how hard his body refused. Naruto saw, in the seats around him were his team and a silver-haired man dressed in jounin attire. No one seemed to recognize he was sitting up. Sasuke was looking out the window, Sakura was sleeping, and the jounin was reading Icha Icha Paradise.  
  
"What time is it? What happened?" he questioned, continuing with, "And do I know you?" directed to Kakashi.  
  
Sasuke turned around and looked at Naruto casually, then turned back to look out the window. Kakashi got up and put his book in his pocket. He walked over to where Sakura was sleeping and lightly shook her.  
  
"Oh Sasuke... You want mee...?" she muttered in her sleep and smiled, in a dazed manner as drool dripped from her mouth.  
  
Sighing, Kakashi shook her a little harder, awakening the sleeping pink-haired girl.  
  
"What? What's going on?" she mumbled, confused. She swore she was just about to kiss Sasuke.

Inner Sakura cried, "How could you wake me from such a good dream!?"  
  
"That's what I'm asking!" cried Naruto, frustrated. His head ached for a moment so he began to rub his temples.  
  
Kakashi responded, "It's a little after seven. I'm your new jounin sensei. Ask them for what happened."  
  
Sakura nodded and began telling the story.  
  
"... and then Sasuke and I tried to see if we could cool you down so that's why we opened your shirt up. It turns out there was something like a tattoo there. It looked like it was on fire. Naruto, you got a tattoo? That's sooo cool! I heard it hurts, but I still want--"  
  
"And then you bolted up and threw a couple shurinken at Kakashi-sensei," finished Sasuke, tired of hearing Sakura rant.  
  
"You fainted after that," added Kakashi. "You've been unconscious 'til now."  
  
"..."  
  
"Where did you get that ... tattoo... from Naruto?" asked Sakura. "I mean you're underage right?"  
  
Naruto looked to Sakura and stuck his tongue out after he said, in a light-hearted manner,

"That's none of your bee's wax."

'... But since when did I start blacking out like this? My chakra feels like its getting drained...'

Sakura made a face at this and glared at Naruto.

"Hmph!"

"Hahahah... So anways, who are you again?"  
  
'He's obviously not telling them something,' he thought. Looking at the other student's, it seemed as if they believed the blonde.  
  
'Guess it can't be helped if he doesn't want to say. It's his decision after all.'  
  
"Sigh, we might as well do our team introductions. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't plan on telling you my likes and dislikes. My dream is... I have a few hobbies..." he said vaguely.  
  
The three facefaulted at this.  
  
"Why don't you go?" he asked talking to Naruto.  
  
"Uhmmmm... okay. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like... I like... I like... ramen! Oh and I like to travel. I dislike.. hmmm... I dislike ... mean people and losing. My dream is... my dream was or is... I'm not sure anymore, but it was to become Hokage. My hobbies are training and eating more ramen!"  
  
"Okay, how about you?" he asked Sakura.  
  
"Uhmm... My name is Haruno Sakura. The person I like is..." she glanced at Sasuke, giggled and blushed. "My hobby is... hehehehehe" she glanced at Sasuke "My goal is..." she blushed again and looked back at Sasuke. "I dislike things that get in the way of me and my love."  
  
"Hm... And you?"  
  
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike a lot of things and like a few things. I don't have many hobbies. My ambition, which I don't plan on leaving just a dream, is to revive my clan... and to kill a certain man."  
  
'SUGOII!! SASUKE IS SOO COOL!' thought Sakura.  
  
'As expected,' thought Kakashi.  
  
'Kill a certain man, eh? Hmm... Wonder who it would be...' Naruto thought to himself. 'Hahaha, I'd hate to be the person he wants to kill.'  
  
"Well, it's good to hear all of you are so unique. I like that. Tomorrow, we will start. We will meet at 5 A.M. in the morning. Don't bother to eat breakfast. You'll throw up if you do."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened but Sasuke kept his cool. Naruto just nodded and got up.  
  
"Well then, if you don't excuse me, I've got places to go and ramen to eat!"  
  
He did a hand seal and "POOF!"  
  
Naruto was gone.  
  
'So this is what has happened to Jiraiya's student... He ought to be an interesting student for me as well...' Kakashi thought. 'He's really something else...'  
  
Naruto stood in front of his bathroom mirror. He was staring at it, but his back was turned to the mirror. There, on his right shoulder blade, was a red "tattoo." Just like from his nightmare, it was a crescent moon with a circle next to it.  
  
'What am I going to do?'  
  
TBC...  
  
A/N: omg... I hate this chapter... =/ sorry idk why but it was sooo tiring to write... T-T hahah it just feels like it doesn't belong.....  
  
=] but nonetheless, I hope you guys review... it really helps as an energy booster kinda... hahah...  
  
btw! I need a way to figure out how jiraiya comes back... any suggestions??/ =b  
  
Well please R&R!! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter... 


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter has also been edited! If you're a new reader ignore this but if not than you've got to check where I've changed it!

Yo, minna-san! Gomen-nasai for the long wait... or the week... hahahha whatever... sidetracked kuz of homework but =] too stubborn to not write a chapter... heheh  
  
Disclaimer: I may own a few pairs of socks and maybe a character in here, but I don't own Naruto.  
  
Author's response...  
  
Toki mirage – wow what enthusiasm ahhaha, - I'm delighted u like the fic though! Thanks for the review!  
  
Inu-chan 613 – hahaha yea... the tattoo is hard to explain, but hopefully, this chapter will clarify the tattoo when I get to it. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!  
  
TomokiG – hMm... never really thought of it as an original path but I guess it is one... although I was attempting to add a bit of originality with it... =b but it all works out hehehe. As for the POV, I'll try to keep it in mind... it's pretty sound advice but I probably will forget... x-X hahaha I'll probably just put some sort of reference to a change or something... well we'll just hafta see I guess... thanks for the advice and I'm glad you like the story  
  
Stoictimer – yea that's what I was thinking about doing, too. Hmmmm... maybe but it doesn't seem a strong enough purpose but chances are, I'll be so stumped I won't be able to think of any other excuse to get Jiraiya back into the story... thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!  
  
Hopeless Romantic – hmm... I don't really think jiraiya at all is a fatherly figure to naruto... it just never clicked in my head like that, you kno? Hahah but anyways I believe jiraiya is a bit too... arrogant to admit hes there to check up on naruto, but I think it's obvious he's smarter than he seems. Thanks for the review and hope you enjoy the chappie!  
  
Wind Runner – I never gave the cloud nin, Miyu, a specific age really... she's about twenty-ish though, as I said in chapter two. =b those are some pretty good ideas... heheh maybe I'll have them meet jiraiya at a village... hmmm idk Xb hahaha thanks for reviewing and im glad you like the story  
  
Anbu Dr J – really? oOo ehhehe stop it ur making me blush! Hahaha jk!! =b but thanks for likin the story (if that makes sense) I'm overjoyed you think this is a potential favorite of yours - hahaha thanks for the review and hope to see more from u =b  
  
One Azn Dragon – hahahaha you're right... Xb sorry but I'll try to progress the story... as for the love part, I doubt there will be any romance so I don't know where u got that from... plus, if u have any suggestions for what u want to see in the ficcie go ahead and add it to any future review or just email me it or something. I hope you enjoy this chapter and find it more suitable to your liking. Thanks for the review!  
  
Kashisenshev - =b thanks for the review!! Hehehe I'm glad that you're gonna keep reading and thank goodness ppl like this ficcie =b hehehe I hope to see more reviews from ya and hope you like this chapter  
  
NightOwl123 – .:squeals:. Wow! I feel so spoilt w/ all these compliments... of course I'm not telling u to stop or nething... hahaha jk I'm so glad you like the fanfic and =b I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Kori Nibiki – you're probably right... this kind of does work as a filler... but hahaha I think it was worth the time to explain it a bit... haha hearing u use all those literary terms makes me feel so incompetent as a writer... ahahha all I'm doing is typing up stuff and I don't think I even know what I'm doing... hahaha well either way I'll probably use the typical as u said... the konoha swim suit contest is very appealing... =b hehehe we'll just hafta see now wont we? Thanks for the review and the advice - I totally appreciate it!  
  
Hinanaru – hehehe will do! Hopefully, it'll answer any questions or confusion on the tattoo thanks for the review and hope you enjoy the chappie  
  
Gopu – hahaha thanks for the compliment =b I hope u like this one too! Thanks for the review!  
  
Rubymoon17 - - hahaha yea sorry for the wait =X hahah hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review!  
  
Refused – hahaha thanks for the compliment =b I'm glad the ficcie suits your tastes and hope to hear more from you! -  
  
Public Mayhem – genius eh? I like the sound of that... hahhahahah jk!!! He now officially knows of Kyuubi residing inside him, but he cant access his chakra... hehehe.. However I'm not sure bout summoning... we'll see how it goes as the story progresses... thanks for reviewing and enjoy!  
  
Mahina – hmm coincidentally... that was what I was thinking of doing... but I'm not sure... we'll see as the story progresses now wont we? Hehehehe thanks for reviewing and enjoy the chapter!  
  
Gelionlegends – hahah. It'll be explained what Miyu can and can't do in this chappie (hopefully) thanks for reviewing and enjoy!  
  
Now on with the story!  
  
Chapter 5: Curse of the Crimson Crescent Moon  
  
"Ugh... Ohayo..." said Sakura in a sleepy tone.  
  
Sasuke made no comment as he walked.  
  
"Yo..." said Naruto, arriving lifeless and drained of energy.  
  
The three genin all walked from different directions to the center of the meadow. The sun hadn't even risen and the sky was still dark, stars still apparent. The air was chilly, and the field was quiet, with only the early birds crying a few calls every now and then.  
  
Sasuke seemed to be the only one unaffected by the early morning, Naruto noted. Sakura was tired and he himself had been unable to get a blink of rest the night before. He was in constant pain throughout the night, getting the chills, headaches, numbness and some heat flashes. Also, every time he began to drift into sleep, he could hear a cackling laugh of some animal, mocking him in the back of his mind. After this, he would instantly awaken and frown. By the time it was four in the morning, he realized it was hopeless and he should just get up and do something. He had wandered around the city, forgetting breakfast, before he arrived at the meadow where they were to meet.  
  
So the trio stood or sat there on the spot and waited for their sensei's arrival.  
  
A few hours later, a passerby would see the trio still waiting. Naruto had started to check Jiraiya's work again, as a way to advert his attention from the pain on his back. He would look up once in a while to see Sakura pacing around, sighing in annoyance with their teacher's chronic tardiness. However, when he turned his attention to Sasuke, the blue-haired boy was simply just standing there, his face emotionally devoid. Then, finally, he saw Sakura stop and then stomp her right foot.  
  
"Where the hell is Kakashi-sensei!?" she cried aloud, the frustration dripping all over her comment.  
  
Naruto got up and turned to his right. The other two followed his gaze to see Kakashi land on the ground, not really even making a thump.  
  
"Speak of the devil..." Naruto commented casually.  
  
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and waved.  
  
"Mornin' everyone."  
  
"..."  
  
Sakura was the first to explode.  
  
"MORNING?! IT'S PRACTICALLY THE AFTERNOON! YOU--"  
  
She was about to throw a fit when Naruto interrupted.  
  
"So what are we here for?"  
  
"That's a good question, Naruto. You see, this is a test to see which team deserves to be rewarded with the title of genin."  
  
Sasuke looked up at this and responded,  
  
"Deserves to be a genin? Isn't that what the test at the Academy's for?"  
  
"Well... it's a preliminary test, sort of..." Kakashi started. He went on to explain how only nine people—three teams—were allowed to pass to become genin officially. He then brought out two silver bells tied to a red string. They rang in the air as he raised them for the three genin to see.  
  
"You three are to attempt to steal these two bells from me. Whoever can get a bell gets to have lunch," he explained as he pointed to the rock with a few sets of lunches. "However, if you don't get a bell," he paused and gave a sadistic smile, "you will be tied up to one of those three poles and will be unable to eat while I finish your lunch for you. And of course, you will be sent back to the Academy, too."  
  
He gave the three a few seconds to register what he had just told them right now.  
  
"But why are there two bells?" Sakura asked, after a moment's hesitation.  
  
"Only two of you will pass," was the response from Kakashi.  
  
The students looked at their teacher, taken aback that one of them would have to be sent back to the academy.  
  
"You won't be able to get a bell unless you come at me with a killer intent."  
  
Out of his pocket, he produced a small alarm clock and turned the knob.  
  
"Begin!"  
  
The three disappeared instantly. Kakashi smiled, readying himself. He reached into a pocket on his utility belt and pulled out a book. One that Naruto recognized instantly.  
  
'Icha Icha Paradise. Hehe, just wait 'til he reads Icha Icha Violence,' he thought, smirking to himself. He looked down to his left and a little ahead to see Sakura hidden beneath the bushes. He then turned right and up into the trees to see Sasuke covered by the trees. He smiled.  
  
'So I can still sense specific people. Hahaha, I'm not losing my touch.'  
  
The blonde boy then started to move and left, to set up some traps.  
  
Kakashi giggled. This was the good part.  
  
"Hehehe.." he snickered, covering his mouth with his free hand and blushing a light pink.  
  
He then got up and walked towards the trees, around Sakura's direction. The silver-haired jounin already knew she had begun her search for her love interest, Sasuke. He would get her first, for not paying attention. He quietly made a genjutsu that gave the appearance of a mangled and scraped Sasuke and had it in position to make it look as if it was dying—her worst nightmare, in other words. He quickly ran to hide as he sensed her coming his direction.  
  
"Hmm... I wonder where Sasuke-kun went..." she mumbled to herself. She shoved aside some branches and walked toward the small clearing. Her head was looking through the trees and then, her gaze stopped at the mangled up body of her beloved idol.  
  
"SASUKE-KUN!!!!!!!!" she cried out loud and fainted.  
  
The genjutsu dissipated and Kakashi stepped out and chuckled to himself quietly.  
  
Naruto, who was up a tree stalking Kakashi wherever he would go, gave a sadistic smirk in amusement. He had hidden his chakra and covered all tracks he could have possibly left behind. On the leafy tree, his attention was on the silver haired jounin's actions. It was, after all, rather interesting to see their teacher manipulate his student. His eyes followed his sensei as he began to fight with the other member of team seven, Uchiha Sasuke. He was interested in the boy's fighting capabilities and was impressed when Sasuke hands tipped the bells a little, surprising Kakashi. But Kakashi easily defeated the Uchiha as he used his underground jutsu to pull the boy underground.  
  
Sasuke, who was irritated by this, glowered at Kakashi as he laughed at the Uchiha's demise. He then turned around and pulled out his book, leaving Sasuke squirming with his head above the ground.  
  
"Grrrr... damn that Kakashi-sensei," he muttered under his breath.  
  
"Thump," he heard as he saw Naruto land on his two feet from the tree.  
  
"What? Since when were you there?"  
  
"Shhh. You'll get me caught," Naruto replied. He then grinned and seemed to laugh inside at the boy half underground. He then walked away before Sasuke could stop him to have him help dig him up. He then turned to see Sakura walk by. She stopped in her tracks and starred at the boy's head.  
  
"Oh good Sakura, you're here. Help me out of—" he started. He stopped after she fainted again.  
  
"... Ugh!!"  
  
Naruto smiled as he saw Kakashi standing alone in the clear field.  
  
'I guess its time to get the action started.'  
  
He then reached into his shurinken holster and pulled three out. He stood from the branch he was standing on and threw them consecutively at Kakashi.  
  
Kakashi jumped up, with the book still in his hand, but moved to his right a little to avoid the shurinken. Naruto pulled a few more out and threw them at his sensei, forcing Kakashi to move more and more to his right.  
  
'And it has begun.'  
  
One more shurinken came flying but headed a different direction. Suddenly a crashing sound was heard.  
  
"What the--"  
  
Kakashi's eyes widened as a pillage of kunai started flying at him. He jumped to left rapidly, but it was useless as he heard a snap as a kunai cut into a rope. He had an expression of shock when a net pulling up from where Kakashi was standing.  
  
'How did I miss that?!' he thought in his mind rapidly, trying to think of a solution.  
  
Kakashi cut through the net, forcing him to land heavily onto the floor. Then, he heard a few twigs snap beneath him as he fell into a hole in the floor, covered by leaves. As he fell, he instantly made a hand seal.  
  
"Kawarimi no Jutsu!" he cried, and was instantly replaced by a log that fell into the hole. But even though he got out of the traps, he was amazed by whoever set this up.  
  
'The traps were efficient and set up in so little time. I was even forced to move exactly as he wanted me to. I guess he didn't plan for me to use kawarimi.'  
  
He started clapping and stated blatantly, "Wonderful, Naruto. I'm impressed. You can come out now."  
  
Naruto grinned from the tree he was on and jumped down to land gracefully in front of Kakashi. He took a sweeping bow and widened his grin as he looked up at his sensei.  
  
"Glad you enjoyed it," he replied, "but it looks like I'll have to get serious soon."  
  
"That you do."  
  
Kakashi and Naruto both got into a loose fighting form. Kakashi, however, was unable to recognize the form the blonde boy had chosen; Naruto created it himself, based on what he had learned from in his travels and studies. But Naruto easily identified Kakashi's fighting style, based on his form.  
  
[A/N: would it be dumb for me to just make up some sort of name for these things? I'm afraid if I do, it will be too difficult to believable...]  
  
'Golden Tiger Fist,' Naruto thought. 'Can't be a match for the Uzumaki Fist. Tested it on Jiraiya before I think...'  
  
'What fist is that?' Kakashi asked himself, stumped. But he was determined not to lose to a genin, whether he was Yondaime's son or not.  
  
A light wind blew and a few leaves fell from the trees surrounding. A big, orange maple leaf was the last one to fall, lightly spinning in the wind. The moment that leaf landed, the two shinobi lunged at each other. Kakashi would attack with cautious, yet powerful attacks, while Naruto's fist tended to be somewhat more reckless with a lot of power. Though reckless, Naruto had an advantage. Kakashi would not know what to expect from his form. Kakashi, however, still was able to land his precise and powerful blows. One would push the other back, and then when he thought he had the lead, the other would push him. In the sparring match, it seemed impossible to figure out who was winning.  
  
On the sidelines watching were the other two members of team seven, forgotten and discarded after their defeats. Still, the two were in awe as they watched the jounin and genin fight at what seemed to be equal grounds. The sounds of their clashing kunai could be heard once in a while, but the two were moving blurs, as they were moving as quickly as possible to try to gain an advantage in vain.  
  
Then, the two shinobi jumped at each other, their kunai meeting, before jumping back.  
  
Naruto did some hand seals and called out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"  
  
Five Narutos appeared next to the original in a cloud of smoke.  
  
They ran around the jounin, surrounding him before all doing seals and crying,  
  
"Katon, Karyuu Endan!"  
  
All at once, they took in a deep breath and blew fire out of their mouths. A huge flame engulfed the area where Kakashi was standing, but pulled another replacement technique, Naruto realized, seeing that a burning log had replaced what was supposed to be a burning body.  
  
Then, one by one his copies were being destroyed. Naruto grabbed his kunai and attacked the air around him. When he did so, the silver hair jounin appeared where the kunai sliced and forced the jounin to jump back, having not expected the blonde to see his attack coming.  
  
The observing genin were also astonished that their blonde teammate had seen it coming.  
  
'Oh my goodness! It's as if he's almost at Kakashi-sensei's level,' Sakura thought. 'But he must be going easy on him. I mean Naruto is still just a genin.' She looked over to Sasuke, who was apparently wrapped up in watching the match.  
  
'At least I have one teammate who won't hold me back completely,' Sasuke pondered, 'but I wonder between the two of us which is the better.' He frowned at the thought of losing to Naruto, who hadn't even gone to the academy and seemed to be a complete idiot. But the fight was proving otherwise, as though the blonde had never needed the academy's training.  
  
Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted from Kakashi and Naruto's fight.  
  
"What?! What happened?!" exclaimed Sakura. She jumped down from the branch she was perched upon and ran into the dark smoke. She waved her hands in vain to find the two.  
  
Sasuke, who was still watching, was deciding whether he should do the same thing as the pink-haired genin had done, or watch to see what would happen. Choosing the latter, he intently watched the clearing smoke. In a few minutes, he saw the kunoichi at off on the side and two figures still fighting against each other. The two had kunai and were clashing as though the smoke wasn't there. Kakashi, then, swiftly kicked his student but Naruto slashed him where the bells were. His fingers caught the bells before Kakashi could react. The genin soon flew back onto the floor, sliding back from the force of the kick all the way to the back of a tree that blocked the blonde's path. Naruto then smiled triumphantly and rang the bells tauntingly before his teacher. Sakura and Sasuke both ran to where Naruto fell.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sakura asked.  
  
"GIVE ME THE BELL AND SASUKE THE BELLS!!" Inner Sakura yelled.  
  
Sasuke, who was standing to Naruto's right, looked over Naruto.  
  
"He's okay. There doesn't look to be any injuries other than a few scratches," Sasuke said.  
  
Kakashi then got up and strolled over to where his students were talking.  
  
"Well done, Naruto. You took me on yourself and actually achieved to get the bells," Kakashi commented, "but now, it is up to you to decide who gets the bells."  
  
The blonde listened as he got up and brushed himself off. Naruto thought carefully, closing his eyes and bringing his hand to his chin in a thinking pose.  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
Sakura clasped her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, praying that she wouldn't have to be sent back to the hellhole. Sasuke, however, just waited for the blonde's response, standing to the side with his hands in his pockets.  
  
"You have a choice to give it to the two of them and return to the academy yourself, or you can choose one of them and send the other back. It's your choice."  
  
'That's tough. Who to choose? Well they both have their good and bad abilities... But who would be the most beneficial team member?' Naruto asked himself.  
  
His eyes then lighted up and he grinned.  
  
"Yatta! I know what to do!" he yelped. He then turned seriously to the two other genin. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke awaited his response.  
  
"..."  
  
"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe."  
  
Sakura clobbered him and yelled, "You can't choose like that!"  
  
Naruto fell forward, and collapsed stiffly onto the grass, face forward. The three other shinobi stood shocked at what happened.  
  
"Oh my god! I didn't kill him did I?" Sakura screeched.  
  
Kakashi bent over to the blonde's body and lightly tapped the boy.  
  
"No, he's just unconscious again. We should get him to see a doctor though. He's burning up."  
  
His eyes creased before the smoothed out. He opened his eyes, revealing two unfocused blue orbs wandering around the room to see where he was. The blonde boy turned his head both directions to see if he could recognize the place. He then looked down to see that he was on someone else's bed, well, at least not his own. The room he was in was white and the curtains were blowing every time a small gust of air burst through the open windows. There was a leafy tree outside the window, and perched on a branch outside was a small bird, chirping. Naruto's eye's searched for a clock and found one, seeing that it was late. The door then opened and in walked the Third Hokage with Kakashi following behind.  
  
"Oh. He has awaken," the Third said.  
  
"Where am I, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked, curious.  
  
"Where are you? Have you never been inside a hospital?"  
  
"A hospital? Oh! One of those! I've heard of them from Jiraiya and my travels!" he said, excitedly.  
  
He then paused before speaking again.  
  
"But why are they so bleak? It's so dreary in here," he noted. "Eh, whatever. What am I here for?"  
  
The Third turned to Kakashi, giving him the stage to talk.  
  
"Hmmm... After you got the bells, you collapsed and you began to burn up. We had to take you here for them to cool your temperature," Kakashi stated.  
  
"Mmm, Kakashi, have you gotten rusty? You let him get the bells from you on his first try?" teased Sandaime.  
  
Kakashi coughed.  
  
"Anyways, we would like for you to clarify what exactly happened. Whats going on, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, solemnly.  
  
The blonde looked up at the two, unsure.  
  
As if the Third Hokage read his mind he said, "Do not fear, Naruto-kun. We are doing this for your own good."  
  
Slightly reassured, the boy smiled, and started recalling the memory of the mission.

"Truth be told, I really don't know. I think it started after my last mission in Hidden Cloud. Jiraiya and I were mostly wanderers most the time I was with him. We rarely actually stayed for more than a month in a city, always traveling. But we had to get money and we did it by doing jobs for Hidden Villages. Jiraiya was pretty famous, not just for his book series, as much as I hate to admit it. At that time we were staying in Lightning Country, we needed some money, so as usual we went to the Raikage's palace for a job...  
  
::Flashback::  
  
Naruto frowned. The lavishly clad Raikage grinned widely at the spectacle. The blonde and his sensei were requesting for a mission from Hidden Cloud, even though they weren't Cloud shinobi.  
  
'I bet that baka of a Kage is going to make us do an A-ranked mission and pay us from what'd we get from a C-rank mission in Hidden Mist. That cheap old—"  
  
"Ah! I've got it! I know the perfect mission for you two!" cried the giddy Raikage. He stood up and put a serious expression on his face. "I'm afraid it will be an A-ranked mission though."  
  
Naruto sweatdropped.  
  
"What's the compensation?" Jiraiya asked.  
  
"I'm afraid our country is a little on the poor side right now," lied the Raikage, in his silk robes and glittering jewelery.  
  
Naruto turned to Jiraiya and gave him a glowering look. Jiraiya smiled nervously in response and shrugged, as if saying that there was no other way, causing the blonde to sigh in defeat.  
  
"What are the details, Raikage-sama?"  
  
"Hidden Cloud asks for you to assassinate an S-class missing-nin for us. Her name is Miyu Akimomo of Hidden Grass."  
  
.:Pause Flashback:. [A/N: if there's sucha thing. Hahah it just means a lil break while the characters return to the present time before resuming and oh my gosh! I totally hate the idea of the last name akimomo xb next time I'll make a better name]  
  
Kakashi and Sandaime looked at eachother. The two nodded. Naruto looked at them, curiously.  
  
"Go on," Sandaime urged.  
  
Naruto nodded and started up once more.  
  
"Well, anyway, the Raikage gave us the details of where to find her, which was the bathhouse. Of course, once Ero-sennin heard bathhouse, he immediately jumped at the chance. The Raikage mentioned that Akimomo would always bathe at famous Seinji Mountain Hot Springs Bathhouse. When undercover, things got out of hand when Ero-sennin began to forget about the mission and some girls were coming down the hall..."  
  
::Resume Flashback:: [A/N: this is from chapter 2. you can skip this if you want but I'm rephrasing it a lil so its in Naruto's POV]  
  
Naruto and Jiraiya's eyes widened with fear.  
  
Naruto quickly did some hand signs.  
  
"Henge!" he said quietly.  
  
Jiraiya stared at the sight in front of him.  
  
"Stop staring! Do something!" Naruto hissed. But it was unfortunate that Jiraiya was drooling like an idiot and giggling as he moved closer to Naruto in his Sexy no Jutsu form. Naruto sighed.  
  
'Jiraiya's going to kill me but it's the only way.'  
  
He took a deep breath and then,  
  
"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"What are you doing?!" he yelped, but not before long, the women coming down the hall had screamed as well, as soon as they saw the old white- haired man.  
  
Soon, all the women ran out screaming and they all chased Jiraiya out of the building while a few consoled Naruto in his sexy no jutsu form.  
  
"Y-y-yea! I-I'm fine!" Naruto insisted, while nodding quickly.  
  
His eyes caught a wandering figure of a slender 20-ish woman walking out with dark brown hair and green eyes.  
  
Instantly, he jumped behind her and held a kunai to her throat while twisting her arm behind her back, thus making her unable to make a run for it or make any hand signs.  
  
"Hello Miss Akimomo Miyu. So we meet alas."  
  
The brunette snarled at Naruto.  
  
"Who are you? How do you know who I am?"  
  
"How could I not know who you are? You're only one of the youngest most wanted S-class criminals around. Who I am doesn't matter."  
  
The other girls were shocked at the scene and began to run away.  
  
"Oh. That." Miyu smirked deviously. "Well I was wondering when I'd be caught. Congratulations."  
  
"Why thank you. Now if you don't mind," Naruto said. Quickly, he drew the knife across her throat. Miyu then reached up and placed a kiss on Naruto's lips. Her body went limp and she died instantly.  
  
"...?"  
  
'Wonder what that was about...' Naruto thought. His eyes suddenly saw a flash of red before his vision cleared up. But he shrugged it off as his recent inability to sleep the night before.  
  
"These missions are getting tiresome," he mumbled to himself. He deactivated the sexy no jutsu and threw the body of the S-class criminal over his shoulders and started to head out of the bathhouse.  
  
::End Flashback::  
  
"We went to talk to the Raikage and collected our pay after. But ever since that day, I've been having these pains. I don't know where they're from but..." he hesitated for a moment.  
  
"But... I've been hearing growls in my sleep, too. And usually, after my pains, it drains me of all my energy. I think that's why I've been falling out of consciousness. I hear the growls mock me, I think. I think I'm going crazy." The young boy looked down to his hands clasped on to the sheets. "What's going on with me?"  
  
The two adults were silent for a moment. They were severely concerned with this problem.  
  
"Naruto?" the Third said.  
  
"Mn?"

"Was there anything strange that happened during the mission? Did Akimomo do a jutsu?"  
  
Naruto thought hard and silently, trying to recall.  
  
"No, I'm sure of it. It was really her, too. Not just some clone."

Kakashi asked, "Do you have a disease?"

The boy scowled and replied, "A disease?! Me? Ha! No!"

The third frowned.

"Hmmm... Maybe it would be a good idea for you to get a blood test. Just to see if maybe you are infected. I'll call for a doctor for a check up for everything."

"Isn't that a bit extreme Hokage-sama?"

"Well, we'll just have to see."

The old man turned and walked out to summon a doctor.

TBC  
  
A/N: YATTA! I'm done!! .:does a little dance:. Hahahah. There was actually more I was going to add but then yea... hahaha I got bored of writing it... took a while for me to think of this... I hope it doesn't sound too bad... consider this a rough draft kuz I don't want to read through it but I'll fix anything when I find a mistake or something.... And Jiraiya will come back into the picture in the next chapter so - don't get behind! Okay, I don't update that slowly... hahaha just kidding.  
  
I hope you guys liked the chapter! Please R&R! I'll try to update sooner next time!

Okay those are the edits... sorry for the delay..... hahahah I don't know if it's a bad ending but yea...


	7. Notice! Ignore if new reader

Ignore this chapter...

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. If it were I'd make sure it'd never get licensed...

A/N: okay I know this is like illegal on fanfiction but I reeaaally needa know... I'll put some previews in it just so I don't get in trouble...

Would you like for me to rewrite the chapter?? After reading one of the reviews, I've become sorta skeptical about the chapter... hahaha and maybe the curse thing... =X I'll let you guys choose though... either way I'll prob rewrite the ending for chapter 6...

Choice 1 leave it be but change the ending a little

Choice 2: Change the curse... if it were choice 2, instead of a curse, it'd be a poison... I think it might be more believable... but that would require me to go back and actually change some of the story line in the other chapters...

Also something I'd like to know is if you guys want me to add in Kyuubi... I know a lot of stories have Kyuubi corresponding with Naruto and if you guys REALLY want him in the story that badly, I'll add him in, but otherwise... Kyuubi wont be around for a while (if I decide to add him in at all) errr... if you go with choice 1, I'll add Kyuubi in like this chapter or something, but choice 2 I'd have to look harder for a spot where I could add the fox demon in... in other words, I really don't know if Kyuubi will talk w/ Naruto yet... so yea... add this in your response please!

.:sigh:. This is driving me nuts..

please email me your choice at twisteddreamah [just remove the space between the h and ] or you could just put it in a review...

--- CHOICE 1 PREVIEW! --- What's in store....

Naruto couldn't say anything... The words were ringing through his head. The two older men were silent, not sure what to say.

"Is there any possible way to stop the curse or find more information on it?" he asked quietly.

Sandaime thought about it.

"You'd have to go to the Grass country," he began, "but under the pretense of a mission. I believe there was a man who asked a team from Konoha to assist with a problem in Hidden Grass. There, you could look for information on the curse and if a remedy was found."

"A team?" Naruto muttered, "but we aren't a team yet..." The blonde looked up to the jounin, who was standing idly, listening in on the conversation.

Sandaime turned to Kakashi as well, expecting a response.

Naruto picked up a flier that flew to his feet. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him, curious to see what he had in his hands. The blonde's eyes widened as he read the words on the ad.

"COME ONE, COME ALL TO THE GRAND OPENING OF...

THE AOKUSA DELUXE BATHHOUSE AND SPA

WITH NEW TREATMENTS TO MAKE YOU FEEL RELAXED AND WILL BRING OUT A NEW YOU THAT YOU NEVER KNEW WAS INSIDE!

::Picture of a few young girls::

WE GUARENTEE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE OR YOUR MONEY BACK!"

Beneath the words was a map of the spa's location.

'Looks like I've found you...' Naruto thought to himself.

"Ow!!! What are you doing that for! Na-Na-Naruto-kun!"

Naruto looked at the person gravely, glaring as if expecting the person to blow up any minute.

"I've been looking all over for you! I need your help!"

--- Choice 2 Preview ---

A/N: well I don't want to write a preview yet... but I'll give you guys a summary of the changes...

I'd have to change some of the dreams... and the scenes after... like Naruto hearing voices will be gone... plus the end of chapter six will mostly be changed too... I'll try to make it more believable... hahah...

I'll just rewrite the end right now and let you guys choose...

--- New ending for chapter 6 with poison instead of curse --- I'll start off where the flashback ended

"We went to talk to the Raikage and collected our pay after. But ever since that day, I've been having these pains. I don't know where they're from but..." he hesitated for a moment.

"But... The pain has been spreading to my arm muscles a bit... The pain won't go away anymore with just the pain killers. I think I'm going crazy." The young boy looked down to his hands clasped on to the sheets. "What's going on with me?"

The two adults were silent for a moment. They were severely concerned with this "tattoo."

"Naruto?" the Third said.

"Mn?"

"When did you start getting the pains? Do you remember an exact day or anything?"

Naruto thought hard and silently, trying to recall the night his pains begun. His eyes widened and lit up.

"It was that night. A day or two ago. I wasn't able to sleep and had a nightmare. The pain was unbearable."

"I see.. It all fits in. Just one more piece. Naruto?"

"Hn?"

"Was there a full moon that night?" the Third asked solemnly.

"Yea, yea there was. Why? I don't see what a full moon has to do with my tattoo?"

Kakashi frowned and spoke up.

"You were the one who assassinated the missing Grass-nin, Akimomo Miyu weren't you? Naruto, she wasn't just any normal S-class criminal. She was from the Akimomo Clan, and they have been known to have a mysterious power."

"Hn? Care to explain?" Naruto asked confused.

"You see, Naruto-kun, the Akimomo Clan of Grass Country was one to be feared because of their strange power," the older man explained. "The women at least. The men didn't carry this power. Their power affects their kills and was a weapon for the female members of this clan. When they were killed, an Akimomo would do something but their murderer would die all from a small tattoo, in the form of a crescent moon with a small circle next to it. It was a bloodline ability, but only for one gender of the family. I'm not sure how it is transferred for sure... but there have been rumors of this."

"...."

"Akimomo was the only female member left in the family with the pure blood of an Akimomo. Even I do not know of a way to stop the curse."

"What happens if I don't stop it?" the blonde asked, worriedly.

"I do not know..." the Sandaime paused reluctantly. "But there is a very large chance that you may die."

A/N I don't know if this ending or whatever is better but its up to you guys... btw if u still want choice 2 but u don't like this ending, just say so and hopefully I'll think of a better way to end it... there will be a chapter seven but I want your responses first... I'll give you guys until Friday, because I'm going to want to start on the next chapter...

=) hope to hear from you all.


	8. Chapter 7: SHOULD BE FIXED!

Hey all! heres the new chapter you've all been waiting for... well whatever hahahah im soooooooo sorry for the delay =X here are the responses for **chapter** **6 and some of chapter 7**

Actually, I got lazy, so hahaha =X. Okay, all I'm going to say is that I'm VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY SORRY to all those who wanted the story not to change... .:sobz:. but many have made the point that the curse didn't make sense.

I'm not going to respond to the reviews for this chapter since it'd be pointless anyways. i hope you guys enjoy the chapter though. Don't expect a lot of writing because I've discovered that I tend to get bored and uninspired when I try to write a lot.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not my property, but this storyline and maybe future OCs are/will be.

Chapter 7 - Poisoned

"One, two, three, four... ugh... too many tiles," Naruto groaned. He had been in the hospital for only a day and discovered the reason behind why many hated the hospital. There were no recreational activities and he was confined to his room because the nurses were afraid he would hurt himself if he was to leave. All there was to do was to count ceiling tiles over and over, stare outside the window through the translucent sheer curtains, and sleep.

He hadn't seen anyone for a while. There weren't any visitors other than Kakashi and the Sandaime, who visited the day before, but had other duties to attend to; Kakashi, to the rest of Team 7; the Third, to Konoha and its residents. Nurses came and went in the white, bleak room, tending to his every need, though many of them would try so hard to force away the looks of discust they would give to the blonde. The nurses would, thus, often look away from the boy as often as they could and tried to ignore his presence, even though he was the only patient residing in the hospital room.

He, of course, would ignore this and try to make light-hearted conversation in vain. The nurses would reply as little as possible and rush out of the room once they were done with whatever they were doing. This only made the stay there worse.

'Good grief, Kami-sama! I want to get out already!' he cried in his head.

"Knock, knock." A man in a white coat stepped in. He was a tall man with black hair and glasses covering his eyes.

"You, Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked.

"Yeah. That's me. Who are you and what do you want?" the blonde asked warily.

The man chuckled and said, "I'm the doctor in charge of your case. I will be giving you your results for the blood test in a moment. We just have to wait for the Hokage to arrive."

His tone then switch to a serious one and he started, "I have some disturbing news about the blood test."

"What? What do you mean by that?" questioned Naruto.

The doctor walked further into the room and sat down on a chair provided in each room for visitors. It was one of the few things that furnished the room, for the room was plain and lacked much decoration.

The doctor didn't answer Naruto's question, going on as if he hadn't heard it at all. Naruto frowned at this and was about to say something when the Hokage walked in.

"Ah! Gomen, gomen. I hope I didn't keep you two waiting too long," said the Third.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak when the doctor interrupted and replied,

"No, no. It is quite alright, Hokage-sama."

The Third smiled and nodded. "Naruto, I assume you know this is your doctor, Dr. Ishi-san."

The doctor pulled off his glasses revealing his sparkling navy blue eyes. He smiled at Naruto, who was quiet, still thinking of what could be wrong with his own health.

"Well, Ishi-san, what are the results?"

The man's smile disappeared as he brought up the clipboard he had been holding to his face. He slipped on his glasses once more before he began speaking.

"I'm afraid Uzumaki has been poisoned by a deadly toxin produced from a dokuja."

[A/N: dokuja: poisonous snake]

"From a snake? But I haven't been bitten by a snake..." the blonde replied in a puzzled tone. He couldn't recall the last time he had even seen a snake. As far as he knew, he had never been bitten.

"Well, many shinobi use the toxin from the dokuja. Some dip their kunai and shurinkan in it, but it is quite strong. Upon contact with your skin, you can be poisoned for a long time. The poison drains all your energy, and often, for ninjas, they also lose chakra."

"Well, that explains a lot, but how do I cure it? I don't want to be stuck here forever you know! I need to get out!!" cried Naruto passionately, dreading the thought of staying at the hospital much longer.

"Is there an antidote, Ishi-san?" the Hokage asked.

"First we need to know where it originated from," commented the doctor. "It isn't a poison found in Fire Country. The snakes are actually bred in Grass Country. Have you perhaps fought with a Grass shinobi?"

Naruto got in his thinking position, with his hand on his chin and his eyes closed. He attempted to recall a Grass ninja whom he had fought against. His eyes lit up and then he exclaimed,

"Yes! I remember! It must've been from my last mission at Hidden Cloud!"

"Mission?" asked the Hokage, confused. "I was not aware you did missions with Jiraiya."

The blonde smiled and began,

[A/N: OKAY! PEOPLE WHO READ CHAPTER 6 BEFORE THE EDIT CAN SKIP THIS! Hahaha I got lazy so I'm using one of the same flashbacks.]

"Jiraiya and I were mostly wanderers most the time I was with him. We rarely actually stayed for more than a month in a city, always traveling. But we had to get money and we did it by doing jobs for Hidden Villages. Jiraiya was pretty famous, not just for his book series, as much as I hate to admit it. At that time we were staying in Lightning Country, we needed some money, so as usual we went to the Kage of the village for a job. We wound up at the Raikage's palace looking for work..."

::Flashback::

Naruto frowned. The lavishly clad Raikage grinned widely at the spectacle. The blonde and his sensei were requesting for a mission from Hidden Cloud, even though they weren't Cloud shinobi.

'I bet that baka of a Kage is going to make us do an A-ranked mission and pay us from what'd we get from a C-rank mission in Hidden Mist. That cheap old—"

"Ah! I've got it! I know the perfect mission for you two!" cried the giddy Raikage. He stood up and put a serious expression on his face. "I'm afraid it will be an A-ranked mission though."

Naruto sweatdropped.

"What's the compensation?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm afraid our country is a little on the poor side right now," lied the Raikage, in his silk robes and glittering jewelery.

Naruto turned to Jiraiya and gave him a glowering look. Jiraiya smiled nervously in response and shrugged, as if saying that there was no other way, causing the blonde to sigh in defeat.

"What are the details, Raikage-sama?"

"Hidden Cloud asks for you to assassinate an S-class missing-nin for us. Her name is Akimomo Miyu of Hidden Grass."

::End of Flashback::

"But that doesn't explain how you got poisoned," stated the doctor.

"I was getting there!"

[A/N: you guys could skip this part too]

::Flashback::

A short, blonde boy nodded to the white-haired man. They were careful not to make a sound. If caught, they're lives could be at stake. The halls had white walls and wooden floors so the two shinobis had to be careful not to make the wood creak. On the white walls, there were intricate paintings of the scenery from the different countries. The two walked down the hall and reached a door where steam came from the bottom. A few women's voices could be heard through the wooden door.  
  
The two were in the famous Seinji Mountain Hot Springs Bathhouse. It was high up in the mountains right next to the Village of Cloud in Lightning Country. The bathhouse was the favorite of many women, having the best view and the most comfortable baths. The bathhouse had everything a bathhouse should offer.  
  
And here were two male ninja, the sneakiest of their kind. Suspicious, ne?

Drool started dripping out of Jiraiya's mouth. He was sooo close. He had needed research for his next book in the Icha Icha series. Naruto shook his head at the sight of this.  
  
'Even I act more cool than he does in situations like this...' he thought and sighed. Then he suddenly heard footsteps coming from around the corner.  
  
"And he told me that he was going to ..." said feminine voice that was coming down the hall.  
  
Naruto and Jiraiya's eyes widened with fear.  
  
Naruto quickly did some hand signs.  
  
"Henge!" he said quietly.  
  
Jiraiya stared at the sight in front of him.  
  
"Stop staring! Do something!" Naruto hissed. But it was unfortunate that Jiraiya was drooling like an idiot and giggling as he moved closer to Naruto in his Sexy no Jutsu form. Naruto sighed. He had always had a plan for back up in case this would ever happen. Sexy no jutsu came in handy a lot.

Jiraiya stared at the sight in front of him.  
  
"Stop staring! Do something!" Naruto hissed. But it was unfortunate that Jiraiya was drooling like an idiot and giggling as he moved closer to Naruto in his Sexy no Jutsu form. Naruto sighed.

'Jiraiya's going to kill me but it's the only way.'  
  
He took a deep breath and then,  
  
"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"What are you doing?!" he yelped, but not before long, the women coming down the hall had screamed as well, as soon as they saw the old white- haired man.  
  
Soon, all the women ran out screaming and they all chased Jiraiya out of the building while a few consoled Naruto in his sexy no jutsu form.  
  
"Y-y-yea! I-I'm fine!" Naruto insisted, while nodding quickly.  
  
His eyes caught a wandering figure of a slender 20-ish woman walking out with dark brown hair and green eyes.  
  
Instantly, he jumped behind her and held a kunai to her throat while twisting her arm behind her back, thus making her unable to make a run for it or make any hand signs.  
  
"Hello Miss Akimomo Miyu. So we meet alas."  
  
The brunette snarled at Naruto.  
  
"Who are you? How do you know who I am?"  
  
"How could I not know who you are? You're only one of the youngest most wanted S-class criminals around. Who I am doesn't matter."  
  
The other girls were shocked at the scene and began to run away.  
  
"Oh. That." Miyu smirked deviously. "Well I was wondering when I'd be caught. Congratulations."  
  
"Why thank you. Now if you don't mind," Naruto said. Quickly, he drew the knife across her throat. Miyu then reached up and placed a kiss on Naruto's lips. Her body went limp and she died instantly. A small trickle of blood came dripped out of her mouth.  
  
"...?"  
  
'Wonder what that was about...' Naruto thought. His eyes suddenly saw a flash of red before his vision cleared up. But he shrugged it off as his recent inability to sleep the night before.  
  
"These missions are getting tiresome," he mumbled to himself. He deactivated the sexy no jutsu and threw the body of the S-class criminal over his shoulders and started to head out of the bathhouse.

::End Flashback::

The two older men nodded and were silent. Then the doctor began to speak.

"Uzumaki, I believe you may have to travel to Grass Country to find medication. For now, I can prescribe some temporary medicine that will be able to counter the symptoms of your poisoning, but you must go to Hidden Grass for the medicine."

Naruto nodded and then turned to the Hokage.

"Sooooooo, can I go? Please?" he asked sincerely.

Sandaime remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Naruto-kun," he said, "are you sure you would not prefer for me to send a messenger? If I were to do so, you would be able to remain in the comforts of the Konoha Hospital. This way, you will be able to remain under supervision. Were you to travel to Grass, I am not sure if you would stay safe."

The blonde burst aloud, lauging.

"Hahahaha. Silly old man! I'll be fine. I'm used to traveling."

"But not alone," the Hokage responded. He then sighed before saying, "But I doubt you would want to stay here. Perhaps I should send the rest of Team Seven with you. There is also a mission I would like for you and your teammates to do. I shall give you the details in my office as soon as we get you your medication and check you out. I shall also have to summon the rest of your team."

Naruto nodded as he took in what the Hokage had told him. He was getting out!

"Yahoo!!!"

Overjoyed, he jumped up and stood on his bed, fist in the air grinning like a maniac. The two watching just sweatdropped.

"Uhmm.. I mean, cough, cough." Naruto went back under his covers.

"You should be able to leave tomorrow. Hopefully, it will only take a week to travel to Hidden Grass. Come Ishi-san. Shall we get the medicine?"

"Ah, yes. Right away, Hokage-sama."

The two left the room as Naruto began to think of Team 7's first mission.

Meanwhile...

Jiraiya walked through the large wooden doors of the village. On the doors was the symbol for Grass. He walked in slowly, hoping not to attract attention from the guards. It had been a long journey, and all he wanted to do was to find an inn where he'd be able to stay for a while.

As he walked a small breeze blew by and a flier flew and smacked him right on the face.

"MMMmPh!" he cried when it hit him. He pulled the paper off his face vehemently and looked at its contents.

'Hmmm... Interesting... The Annual Hidden Grass Village's Most Dangerous and Beautiful Kunoichi Pageant,' he read. 'Come join us to see which of these gorgeous women are the most beautiful kunoichi in the countries. Pageant includes a talent show, interview, evening attire that hides the most weapons, and SWIMSUIT CONTEST!' His eyes bulged out of his head as he blushed and read faster, bringer the flier closer to his face to find the location and date.

'Contest will be in two weeks in Hidden Grass's Village Square. Join us!' he read. He began to chuckle, drawing attention from other passing villagers and shinobi.

"I must go! When this paper flew into my face, it was destiny telling me that I was fated to see these beautiful women!" he shouted, passionately. He wiped the drool off his face and grinned.

'Too bad Naruto isn't here to see this,' thought the sannin.

TBC...

A/N: Yes, yes, I know. Terrible chapter. Hahahah, but at least I got one up? =X don't hate me please! T-T... I was just trying to get an explanation in and stuff... I think I have a pretty good idea where this ficcie will be going and hopefully, I'll get another chapter up before school starts

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope the edits, which are up now, aren't too bad... they're a lot weirder because it was originally for a curse but I changed it around... and yea that's kyuubi's growl he hears in his head in the earlier chapters

please R&R!!!


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